First to Victory
by Li Rai
Summary: Marisa has always wanted to compete in the Pokemon League, when an opening allows her a chance, will things go as planned?  Will the obstacles be too much for Marisa to overcome alone?  Can she conquer the demons holding her back?
1. News for the Ages! A Journey Begins!

**A/N: It's been a long time since I last wrote anything even close to resembling fanfiction. I started to write this when HeartGold and SoulSilver came out and recently decided to go back to working on it. It revolves around and Original Character I created. Characters from the TV show and games will appear.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

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First to Victory: Chapter 1

The sun shined brightly over the route leading to Pallet Town. It was a beautiful day for a Pokemon battle, which was just what two trainers were partaking in…

"Umbreon, use agility!" a female trainer called out. The moonlight Pokemon moved quickly in hopes of confusing its opponent.

The opposing Pidgeotto hovered in one place in the air doing its best to watch the speedy Pokemon it was combating. "Pidgeotto, slow it down with gust," the male trainer yelled. The Pokemon obey with speed and began to whip up a fierce wind.

The female trainer smirked. "Confuse Ray!" she ordered with no hesitation. Umbreon's eyes glowed as it launched the attack toward the bird Pokemon.

"Ah, Pidgeotto, close your eyes!"

"Quick Attack!" Before the other trainer knew what was happening, his Pidgeotto was hit hard by the fast moving Umbreon, knocking the bird to the ground.

"No, Pidgeotto," the trainer ran to his Pokemon to check on it. It was clearly unconscious. He calmly took out a Pokeball. "Good job, Pidgeotto, you deserve a rest," he said returning the Pokemon to its ball. "I still can't beat you, Marisa."

"You're getting better though, Evan," Marisa said stroking her Umbreon. "Keep up your training and you should do well in the Pokemon League."

"How can you say that when I can't even beat you? You aren't even competing," Evan spoke, clearly irritated by the whole thing.

Marisa stood up and pulled out a Pokeball. "I've been training a lot longer then you have. You should trust me when I tell you that you are getting better." She returned Umbreon to its Pokeball. "And now I better get going. Professor Oak is waiting for his package after all."

"I want a rematch next time you're free," Evan demanded.

Marisa laughed. "Fine with me, I'm always ready for a battle," she replied before heading down the road toward Pallet Town. There were times when Marisa wondered why she put up with the young trainer, but then she would remember that she did not really have the largest pick of trainers since she was primarily around Pallet Town most of the time. Researchers and rookie trainers seemed to be the primary tourists that wandered into the area. Occasionally a strong trainer would show up, but it was not very often.

The truth was very simple. Marisa was bored. She loved working with Professor Oak and learning all she could about Pokemon, but her dream was not to be a researcher like the Professor. She wanted to be a trainer, but circumstances kept her from fulfilling her dream.

A loud sigh escaped Marisa's lips as she thought about her life prior to meeting Gary and Professor Oak. Her actions then put her in danger. She did not want to make a public name for herself until she knew for sure she was safe.

The remaining trip back to Pallet Town was a quiet one. Even though it was such a nice day, very few people were out on the roads. Marisa could only assume that people had better things to do then travel. She knew that she did. When she got back to the lab, the first thing she was going to do was groom her hard working Pokemon and let them run around with the rest of their friends. Later that night, she would do some night training with a few of her weaker Pokemon. She was going to fall back into her routine until the Professor gave her a new task to accomplish.

"Hello, Marisa," a voice called out.

Marisa stopped walking and smiled at the women that greeted her. "Hello, Mrs. Ketchum," she said kindly. "Working hard?" Delia Ketchum was holding a gardening spade in her hand indicating that she was gardening.

"Oh yes, the weather is wonderful today. I don't suppose you ran into Ash on your way back to town, did you?"

Marisa shook her head. "Was he in town again?"

"He was, but only for a day. He said he was heading for Viridian, so I thought maybe you would finally be able to meet him." In the two years that Marisa had spent in Pallet Town, she had never met the Pokemon trainer. They always seemed to miss each other. He always seemed to show up when she was off on some errand for Professor Oak. Just once, she wished to meet him. Everyone in Pallet Town talked of Ash Ketchum and his many accomplishments, so she wanted to meet him and hopefully battle him and find out for herself just how great he really was.

"I guess it just wasn't meant to happen," Marisa remarked. "One day we'll meet."

"I am sure you will become good friends," Delia said bending down to mess with something in the garden.

"We'll see," Marisa commented. "I have to get going, have a good day, Mrs. Ketchum."

Marisa resumed her walk toward the Pokemon lab. It wasn't that much further now. She could actually see the windmill next to the lab, which helped bring the lab power if an outage occurred, though Marisa was sure the electric Pokemon in the lab could assist with charging a generator if needed. She had no problem letting her electric types do such a thing if need arises. The way she saw it, they would be getting a form of training… just like the form of training she was getting walking up the steps toward the door. Even after 2 years, Marisa still hated the stairs to the lab and only those stairs. She never understood why the Professor insisted on keeping his lab on a hill.

After reaching the top, Marisa pushed open the door and walked inside. As usual, there was no one there to greet her. She suspected the Professor was working on something and Tracy was most likely watching the Pokemon out in the fields. "Professor Oak!" she called out as she walked toward the lab.

"Ah, Marisa, you're back," the Professor answered sticking his head out the door Marisa was heading for.

Marisa pulled a small package out of her bag and held it out. "Yeah, and I brought the package you asked me to pick up."

"Good, good. Now if you don't mind, could you make some tea and meet me in the living room? You can set the package on the table," the Professor requested.

"Of course," Marisa replied before doing as Professor Oak requested. He clearly wanted to talk with her. Most likely he wanted to discuss something he wanted her to do. It was not unusual for her to be sent right back out after returning.

When Marisa came out with the tea, she found the Professor already seating on one of the couches and the package gone. Marisa set the tea cups on the table and poured the tea before taking a seat across from Professor Oak.

Rather than wait for Professor Oak to start, Marisa took the initiative, after all, she wanted to work with her Pokemon. "So, what job do you have for me now?" she asked picking up her cup of tea. "Deliver a package or picking one up, or do you have something new for me?"

The Professor picked up his own cup. "Ash was here while you were away and brought news you may find interesting."

Marisa sipped her tea. "What kind of news?" she questioned slightly curious by the start of the conversation.

"A number of high ranking members of Team Rocket were arrested," the Professor calmly told her.

Marisa coughed on her tea. "What!" she exclaimed unsure if she heard Professor Oak right.

"One of Team Rocket's bases was discovered and with the assistance of a number of Pokemon trainers, including Ash, the police were able to overcome the members and make a series of arrests," Professor Oak explained.

Marisa knew where the Professor was going. Team Rocket would most likely quiet down for a few months while readjusting plans and breaking out or silencing the arrested members. That meant it was doubtful they would waste anymore time looking for a trainer that stole from them. This was the opening she was looking for.

"I am certain you understand what this means," Professor Oak continued. "You don't need to remain in hiding now."

"You're right," Marisa said leaning back. "I'll still need to be careful since my face is probably known, but if there were any groups searching, they have probably been withdrawn."

"What are you planning to do?"

Marisa did not miss the knowing tone in his voice. "I'll leave. I've always wanted to complete and now I have the chance. I'm not going to waste this opportunity."

The Professor nodded. "Your extra Pokemon are welcome to remain here while you travel. Just as I've done with other trainers, I will send you those that you need when you ask me to."

"Of course, you're the only one I trust with them and naturally, I'll do my best to assist you with your Pokedex research," Marisa said standing up. "And I think I'll get ready for the journey. I need to decide what Pokemon to take, pack my bag… I better get busy if I'm going to leave in the morning." Marisa's mind was working overtime as she thought about all she needed to do. She could not waste any time.

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Marisa looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes skimmed her outfit. A snug black ball cap sat on her head with her black ponytail sticking out the back. A black t-shirt snuggly fit over her torso, showing off her womanly curves, while a jean jacket went over the top. Black fingerless gloves covered her hands and light blue jeans protected her legs. Around her waist was her Pokeball belt, complete with 6 Pokeballs, and a small tan pack attached. Finishing her outfit was a pair of blue and white running shoes. The outfit was comfortable and she felt like she looked the way a trainer should.

The Pokemon Trainer turned and picked up her blue backpack before heading for the door. She was ready to get going. This journey had always been her dream. In fact, she decided to mimic Ash's journey through the Kanto region gyms in hopes of better understanding the well-known trainer. Even though people might suspect her of disliking the other trainer, she actually respected him. He gave her a goal to reach just like others around her had.

Marisa left her room and headed downstairs where Professor Oak and Tracy were waiting. She was very grateful toward the Professor for all he'd done for her over the past two years. He had given her and her Pokemon a place to stay and accepted her with little knowledge of her past. She owed him a lot that she would most likely never be able to repay.

Farewells were done quickly since everyone knew they were not going to be for long, nor forever, after all, Marisa was still keeping Pokemon at the lab and as long as they were there, she would be returning. In reality, she was only leaving physically. They would see each other over the phone when she called to check in. Good bye was more of a formality than anything else. It probably would have been a bigger deal if she was 10 like most that left Pallet Town, but she was 18 and she'd already been out traveling before. Besides that, she had no family in Pallet and she honestly did not know where her family was at the present time. All she had to see her off was Professor Oak and Tracy, not that she minded. The fewer the people, the faster she was able to get on her way.

A light breeze hit Marisa as she stepped out the lab door. It was a nice day for a trip and she was going to make full use of it. If things went her way, she would be in Viridian City in time for lunch.

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**Next Chapter: A rival appears!**

**A/N: Please review.**


	2. A Trainer from Johto!  A Rival Appears!

**A/N: I hadn't planned on posting Chapter 2 so soon, but I changed my mind. Thank you to reviewer X. That review made me smile and I hope you continue to read. Umbreon will make more appearances.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or the Pokedex entry in this chapter.**

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First to Victory: Chapter 2

"No… no… too weak… not even good looking…" Blake sighed as he watched people walk by. He was bored. He had come to Viridian City to battle the gym leader only to find that the leader had taken the day off. So here he was staring at people walking by hoping to find at least one worthy challenger amongst them. He was unimpressed. Everyone he saw looked like rookie material and he had no desire to take on a newbie.

The Pokemon Trainer stood up and started walking through the crowds. A thought in the back of his mind told him that perhaps he was in a bad spot for strong trainers. This thought urged him to move and if he had never moved, he would have never caught a glance of an attractive young women walking into the Pokemart. Though he had only seen her back, he could tell that she had curves and looked to be around his age. Since he could not seem to find a trainer to battle, he quickly made up his mind to try and get a girl. The predator slipped inside the mart in search of his prey.

The mart was filled with various items and potions, but not many people. Blake had little problem locating the woman he sought. She wore a backpack partially covered by her black hair and he could see a smaller pack at her waist. He could not see any Pokeballs, but he also could not see her other side.

He felt a bit stalker like as he watched her grab various Pokemon supplies off the shelves. She was either a trainer, or traveling with one, he concluded. Either way, he would get her.

Blake followed her to the counter before making his move. "Hello, Beautiful, where have you been all my life?" He asked using all his charm.

The female turned her head and looked at him curiously. Blake found himself staring into her emerald eyes. "Oh, it's just a pervert."

"Huh?" Blake blinked and wondered if that heavenly, yet disgusted sounding voice belonged to the woman before him.

"Having issues hearing, Mr. Pervert?" the woman spoke again before turning to say something to the cashier.

Blake was stunned. No one had ever refused him in such a way. Actually, he could not remember ever being refused. This female had officially caught his eye in more than one way.

"Sir?" Blake felt a hand on his shoulder.

Blake turned and looked at the cashier. "The young lady said you were paying," the cashier said holding out the bill. Oh yes, that woman was definitely in Blake's sight.

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Marisa laughed to herself as she left the mart. She wished she could have stayed long enough to see that pervert's face, but had she stayed, the whole thing would have been ruined. She was thankful that the cashier owned her a favor otherwise she would have never been able to pull it off.

If the man had not used such a horrible pick up line, she might not have left him with the bill. He was good looking when his mouth was shut. Messy, yet stylish dirty blonde hair and light blue eyes complemented his well toned body, which he showed off proudly by wearing a red muscle shirt. He carried a black leather jacket over one shoulder while his bag hung over the other. This outfit was finished off with black cargo pants, black boots, and a black belt that carried Pokeballs on it. Yes, in a moment, Marisa had completely scanned him. He looked old enough to be around her age, so she had a feeling that he worked for someone like she did Professor Oak, or he was there to compete in the Indigo League. Either way, she hoped she would not see him again anytime soon.

"Marisa!" A voice called out. Marisa stopped and looked toward the voice. Young Evan was running toward her. "Marisa, you're back already," he said stopping in front of her.

"Yeah, Professor Oak wanted me to enter the Pokemon League," Marisa said not finding a reason to honestly tell Evan the whole story. He was an outsider anyway.

"That makes us rivals!" Evan exclaimed. Marisa nodded. "Let's have a battle!"

Marisa sighed. She wanted to get going, but she doubted Evan would let her. She had promised to battle him again the next time she came through after all.

"Fine," she agreed. "It'll be a single Pokemon match."

"Then I choose," Evan threw his Pokeball, "Pidgeotto." The Pokeball opened and the bird Pokemon came out. Marisa knew he would choose Pidgeotto. It was essentially his strongest Pokemon.

"Looks like your Pidgeotto has recovered from its beating yesterday," Marisa commented removing a Pokeball from her waist.

"That's right and we're ready for a rematch," Evan said confidently.

"Well then, I'll use this Pokemon." Marisa tossed the ball and out came a smaller bird Pokemon.

"Pidgey?" Evan said confused by Marisa's choice. "Are you making fun of me?"

"Not at all," Marisa said stroking her Pidgey as it sat on her shoulder. "Don't underestimate Pidgey."

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Blake was mad. He had been rejected, forced to pay for items purchased by the woman that rejected him, and he had lost track of the woman he was interested in. He wished something good would happen.

"There's a Pokemon battle going on!" a kid yelled as he ran by. Blake shrugged and followed the kid since he had nothing better to do. In the end, he was glad that he did. The female that was on his mind was there and she was one of the battlers.

'So, she is a trainer,' Blake thought as he watched Pidgey and Pidgeotto fly at and around each other.

"Pidgey, fly down low and get under Pidgeotto!" the female ordered. The small bird did as it was told, but the other trainer was not going to let it succeed.

"Pidgeotto, stop it with Wing Attack!" he yelled. The other bird dove toward the smaller bird.

"Pidgey, hit it with Sand Attack," the female calmly ordered.

"Dodge!" Pidgeotto attempted to avoid the attack, but the dive limited movement and it was hit.

"Finish this with a Tackle attack!" Pidgey flew up and rammed into the blinded Pidgeotto knocking it to the ground.

Blake watched the young trainer run to his Pokemon. The match was over. Blake had to admit that the female was skilled. Not many could defeat an evolved Pokemon with its pre-evolved form. However, her opponent was not very strong. She baited him and he fell for it. Still, he wanted a chance to battle her and after making him pay for her stuff, he was determined to get that battle.

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Pidgey flew and perched happily on Marisa's shoulder as its trainer pulled out a cube of Pokemon food from her waist pack. Marisa held the cube up and let Pidgey eat it. "You need to think more ahead," she told Evan while watching Pidgey eat. "I battle you to help you. My Pokemon are much higher level than yours so you need to use more strategy when battling me."

Evan stood up. Pidgeotto was back in its Pokeball. "I know. I just get narrow sighted when battling," he admitted.

"I don't think he did that bad." Marisa stroked Pidgey rather than looking at the man connected with the voice. She recognized the pervert's voice instantly. "He held his own against a clearly superior opponent until the end."

"I never said he didn't," Marisa replied still using Pidgey as an excuse not to look at the man. "He keeps up fine, until strategy is used against him."

"Strategy like what you did to me earlier?"

Marisa finally looked at the man. "That wasn't strategy, that was a lucky break," she told him with a sly smile.

"Marisa, do you know this guy?" Evan asked standing beside her.

Marisa suddenly felt her hand rising and something touching it. She looked down and found the pervert laying a kiss on her gloved hand while down on one knee. "Ah, Marisa, a beautiful name for a beautiful female."

The female trainer jumped back, almost knocking Pidgey off her shoulder. She could feel her face getting hot. "W...what?"

Even though the man made her feel uncomfortable, she did not miss the smirk that graced his lips. A sound from Evan reminded Marisa of what had happened and she fixed her composure. She looked at the young man, who looked thoroughly shocked. "No, Evan, I do not know this man," she answered checking on Pidgey. "I met him for the first time today, but was not given a name, only a cheesy pick-up line."

"Forgive me, your beauty made me forget myself." The man stood up. "My name is Blake. Blake Reed from New Bark Town."

"New Bark Town!" Evan snapped out of his stun. "Marisa, he's from Johto!"

Marisa shrugged. "He's still a pervert. I can't say he's a very good representative of his region."

"That sounds like a challenge," Blake remarked pulling out a Pokeball. "You may not like my personality, but my Pokemon are top of the line."

"If your Pokemon are anything like you, I'm not interested."

"So you have no problem battling rookies, but when a skilled challenger shows, you run," Blake commented. Marisa knew he was baiting her and she should just walk away, but at the same time, she was curious. Her experience with Johto Pokemon was limited to what trainers had sent to Professor Oak. She was being given a chance to battle a trainer from Johto presumably carrying a team of Johto based Pokemon. It was hard to pass up.

Marisa sighed. "Fine, I'll battle you, but let's make it quick. I'd like to be on the road for the next gym before nightfall."

"All right with me. Let's do a one-on-one battle then." Marisa nodded in agreement. She wanted to see some Johto Pokemon, but she could tell that the man before her was good. Her Pokemon would get hurt and she would need to stop by the Pokemon Center before leaving town. Therefore, the shorter battle gave her more time.

Blake walked away from her to make room for the battle. "I issued the challenge, so I'll go first," he said throwing a Pokeball. The ball opened revealing a large bird covered in steel.

"Marisa, what is that Pokemon?" Evan asked staring at the bird.

"Let me see," Marisa said pulling out her Pokedex.

_"Skarmory, the Armor Bird Pokemon. Because Skarmory nests in priors and is constantly scratched by thorns, its wings become razor sharp."_

Marisa closed the Pokedex and returned it to her pack. She patted Pidgey on the head. The bird Pokemon had tensed up and prepared for battle when Skarmory came out. "You can relax, I'm letting one of the others take this." She grabbed a Pokeball off her waist while Pidgey settled down on her shoulder. "Go!" Marisa threw the ball. "Arcanine!" The Pokeball opened up to reveal the orange and black canine Pokemon. Arcanine roared as he came out.

"An Arcanine… good choice, but it won't be enough to beat my Skarmory," Blake taunted.

"Shut up and let's get this started."

"Ladies first." Blake gave a bow as he spoke.

"Fine, Arcanine, start things off with a Flamethrower," she quickly ordered. The canine Pokemon opened its mouth and shot a scorching flame out at the bird.

"Fly out of the way." The bird quickly took to the skies narrowly dodging the flame.

"Don't let it get away!" Marisa yelled. Arcanine continued to send it's flamethrower toward the flying Pokemon. Skarmory dodged with skill.

"Skarmory, get close to it with Agility," Blake called out. Skarmory seemed to disappear as it dodged and sped toward Arcanine.

"Arcanine, don't let it trick you. Hold your attack." The blasts of fire slowed and stopped.

"Now is your chance, hit it with your Steel Wing attack!" Skarmory's wings started to glow as it sped toward the canine.

"Get out of the way!" Marisa yelled, but it was too late. Skarmory's agility combined with the attack was much too fast for Arcanine and it was hit hard to the ground. "Arcanine!"

Blake smirked. "Hurry and hit it with your Swift attack, Skarmory," he quickly ordered. Skarmory's wings glowed again before the star shaped attack came out.

"Extreme Speed!" Arcanine barely got to it's feet and evaded the attack, by using it's speed. "Quickly, get it with Take Down!" The canine Pokemon jumped into the air and slammed into Skarmory before Blake could issue another command. The bird Pokemon hit the ground hard. "Finish it with a Fire Blast!" A human shaped flame flew toward Skarmory.

"Not so fast," Blake remarked. "Skarmory, Agility!" The bird swiftly dodged the flame and sped toward Arcanine. "Hit it with your, Fury Attack!" Skarmory dove in and used it's beak to launch an assault on Arcanine.

"Arcanine!" Marisa called out as her Pokemon fell to the ground once more. "Get up, you can do it!" The canine slowly rose to its feet.

"Give it up, Marisa. Your Pokemon can barely stand," Blake called out to her.

"Never!" She yelled back looking at Arcanine.

"So be it. Skarmory, finish it with Steel Wing," Blake ordered. The bird's wings began glowing once again before charging at Arcanine.

"Arcanine, dodge it!" The fire pokemon attempted to get out of the way, but it was too tired to move fast enough and the attack hit. Arcanine cried out as it hit the ground. Marisa ran to her Pokemon. "Arcanine, it's alright, you don't have to fight anymore," she told her Pokemon as it attempted to get up and failed. Marisa stroked Arcanine gently. "You've earned a good rest." She pulled out its Pokeball and returned her tired Pokemon to it.

"Your Arcanine is strong, but it seemed like it was not used to fighting a flying Pokemon," Blake commented walking over to Marisa. He had already returned Skarmory to its Pokeball.

"That's why I used it," Marisa replied staring Blake in the eye. "I want my Pokemon to improve by battling different opponents."

"Admirable. I like you even more now," the man said coming close to Marisa. Marisa looked at him cautiously.

"I doubt that means much coming from a man like you," Marisa remarked unconsciously taking a step back. An arm wrapped around her waist causing her to remain where she was.

"Oh, it means quite a bit," Blake said before bending his head and claiming the female trainer's lips.

Marisa was momentarily shocked as her mind registered what was happening. Blake was kissing her and he was good. Oh wait, that's not what Marisa wanted to think. "Get away you PERVERT!" Marisa yelled punching Blake hard in the face knocking him away. Blake stumbled and rested a hand on his face while he watched Marisa stomp off toward the Pokemon Center with Pidgey flying after her.

"Marisa!" Blake looked over and saw the boy that Marisa had been battling with heading to follow. He grabbed the kid.

"Tell me, boy. What gym is she heading to?" He asked quickly.

"My name isn't boy, it's Evan, and why should I tell you?" Evan replied harshly.

"I don't care what your name is. Just tell me the closest gym to here," Blake demanded tightening his hold on the boy's arm.

"Ow, fine, it's Pewter City!" Evan yelled. Blake released him. With the Viridian Gym closed, trainers would head for the next gym. He was sure she would be doing just that and he would be right there to meet her.

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**Next chapter: Marisa's first gym battle!**

**A/N: Please Review!**


	3. Battle for the Boulder Badge!

**Edit: Got a review regarding a scene in here and realized that the reviewer was write. A fix has been made to the first section of this chapter. Hopefully, this will make things better.**

**A/N: I decided that it was time to post chapter 3. I'll probably put chapter 4 up around… hmm… maybe Saturday. I have all the way to 6 done, with 7 nearly done, so the posts are pretty much when I feel like it or if I get reviews that push me to post sooner.**

**Thank you again to reviewer X. Thank you for noticing my little error in the battle scene. I actually did forget about the keen eye ability, but according to the wiki, Pidgeotto can also have the Tangled Feet ability, so for now we'll just say it has that (I'll probably try to go fix the scene later). I did read a bit of that story you recommended and you are right about the battle scenes. My knowledge of the Adventure manga is pretty limited to the start, so I don't know much about Gold, so similarities are unintentional.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.  
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First to Victory: Chapter 3

Marisa made sure to get as far from Viridian City as she could as soon as her Pokemon were well. She did not want to be anywhere near that infuriating man. For that reason, she'd walked all the way to the Viridian Forest before resting. Rather than trek through it at night, she set up camp outside the entrance and planned on an early morning departure.

When morning came, Marisa released Pidgey and let it sit on her shoulder. The bird Pokemon was one of two unevolved Pokemon Marisa had in her party. The other was a secret Pokemon that she only trained when no one else could see it. Only one person knew she had it and that was the person that gave it to her. The only reason Professor Oak did not know about it was simply because she did not have any reason to tell him. She respected the Professor, but she wanted a few secrets.

The female entered the forest hoping to release some of her anger from the previous day with a few battles. She had been in Viridian Forest more than once, but had never bothered to catch any of the resident bug Pokemon. She saw this as a good chance to catch some new Pokemon as well as a chance to get Pidgey some good training.

It was another nice day. The trees practically covered the sky, but the heat that came through was very comforting. Marisa was still angry, but as she walked, it slowly diminished. She was angrier with herself then the male trainer. She knew he was dangerous and yet, she let him get close to her. For that matter, she let him kiss her and actually liked it. That was the worst part. She enjoyed the kiss of a man who probably kissed more women then she could count. Had it been her first kiss, Marisa could see herself being even angrier with him, but she did have some experience in that area.

"Good morning, Beautiful." Marisa froze at the sound and slowly turned her head to look at the man. Blake was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed in front of him. He was wearing his jacket this time.

Marisa frowned. "Are you a stalker now, Mr. Pervert?" she asked before she started walking again.

Blake fell in step with her. "What would it take for you to call me by my name?" he asked ignoring the stalker comment.

"Why should I?" Marisa remarked refusing to look at him.

"Well, we are rivals," Blake casually commented.

Marisa kept walking, but said nothing. He was right. They were both competing in the Pokemon League and on that principle alone, they were rivals. However, that did not mean she had to like him.

"Marisa, I'm sorry for my behavior yesterday," Blake said breaking the silence. Marisa looked at him. He sounded serious. "It was wrong of me and I deserve more than just that punch you gave me. I may flirt with women, but that does not excuse my behavior."

Blake did not look at Marisa as he spoke. He looked tense and nervous. The female did not want to forgive him since she was not able to forgive her own feelings, but he seemed sincere. At the same time, forgiving him meant that she was trusting that his words were true and he could just be a good actor. For all she knew, he could have used the same lines on other females just to get back on their good side. Trust was not something she gave easily.

"You ask for forgiveness, but how do I know you would just do it again next chance you get?" Marisa asked. "And yet, perhaps I should give you another chance, though I do think you'll just repeat yourself."

Blake frowned. "You hardly know me and you think so little of me."

"You've given me little else to think of. Stop being a pervert and I might consider letting you be my friend," Marisa shot back. She really had no intention of becoming close with the man beside her. He made her feel things she did not wish to feel and she certainly did not need to become friends with the enemy.

Blake set a hand gently against her cheek. Marisa could feel her face heat up from the contact. She glared at the man before punching him once more. This time, she hit him in the stomach forcing him to double over in pain. "Hands off," Marisa growled.

Blake chuckled from the ground making Marisa wonder if the male was all there. Maybe her punch the day before had done some damage. "You are the most violent female I have ever met," Blake managed to say from the ground. He then looked at her and smiled. Marisa felt her heartbeat increase and her face once again started getting hot. She quickly looked away.

Blake blinked a few times. He thought she was immune to his charm, but he was sure he just seen a blush grace her face. The woman beside him was a complete mystery to him and yet, he found himself drawn to her. She was more than a pretty face, much more, and she definitely knew how to defend herself.

"However," Blake added as he struggled to stand. "I would endure all the pain you choose to give just to touch you for a second."

Marisa rolled her eyes and wondered how many females had fallen for his lines. "Why are you even here?" The question caught Blake off guard. "If all you wanted was to apologize, then you can take off now. Viridian Gym was closed yesterday, but it is open today, so you are only wasting your time and mine by staying here." Marisa stroked Pidgey as she talked.

"If I stayed in the city, I would have missed you," he answered honestly. "And I might as well move on to the next gym since I am already halfway there."

"The next gym is Pewter City. You better stay out of my way," Marisa warned. Pidgey talked as if agreeing with its trainer.

Blake laughed. "I'll try my best to remember your warning," he said smiling at her once again.

Marisa felt her heartbeat pick up again. She knew why females fell for him. Horrible pick-up lines, but he definitely had killer smile. Even now, she could feel herself falling into his trap, but she would not crash, at least not without a fight.

"I'll leave you now," Blake finally said before he started to walk away at a slow pace. Marisa had to think that it was due to the hit she had given him. He gave her one last smile before walking away.

Marisa watched him go. The man seemed to have the power to break through her guard, which was not something she enjoyed. One thing she was sure of… Blake Reed was not a man to be taken lightly.

* * *

Marisa shielded her eyes as she walked out of the forest. After a few days of wandering, the female trainer had finally decided to move on. Pidgey had grown a lot. It had not evolved, but its skills and strength were improving. Currently, she was letting Pidgey rest in its Pokeball.

Pewter City came into sight almost immediately. The city was famous for rocks and as such, there were rocks all over the place. Marisa had been there a number of times. Near the museum was a lab investigating fossils and ancient Pokemon, which had been a destination for a number of trips. For now, her destination was the Pokemon Center.

Marisa dropped her Pokemon with Nurse Joy and went to the phone. She could have made the call with her Pokegear, but decided not to.

"Hello?" a familiar voice answered. Professor Oak's face soon showed up on the screen.

"Hello, Professor, I've made it to Pewter City," Marisa said happily.

"Excellent news! Have you competed for your badge yet?"

Marisa shook her head. "Not yet. Nurse Joy is checking out my Pokemon. Did the Pokemon I sent arrive safely?"

"Oh yes. They are in perfect condition," the Professor remarked. Marisa was pleased to hear it.

"By the way, Professor, have you ever heard of a man named Blake Reed?" It was a question Marisa needed answered. Blake was stronger than an ordinary trainer.

"Blake Reed? Oh yes, I know him. He showed up here with a package from Professor Elm," the Professor commented. "Did you meet him?"

"Unfortunately," Marisa admitted. "He's a pervert, but a really good trainer, so I wanted to find out a bit about what I'm up against."

"Professor Elm speaks highly of him. If I recall correctly, he ranked in the top 4 during the last Silver Conference."

"No wonder he beat me easily," the female trainer mumbled to herself. "Thank you, Professor. Now that I know what I'm dealing with, I'm going to train even harder."

The conversation ended just as Nurse Joy came back with Marisa's Pokemon. Marisa returned her Pokemon to her belt while thanking Nurse Joy. She was now ready to challenge the Pewter City gym.

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The Pewter Gym looked just like Marisa expected. It looked like a giant boulder and the ground was littered with large and small rocks. The gym was known for using rock and ground type Pokemon. It made sense when one considered the city.

Marisa walked up to the large doors. There was not any note on the doors, which indicated that the Gym Leader was accepting challengers. Pushing open the doors, Marisa entered the darkened gym. The lights came on as the doors closed.

Marisa approached the challenger box. The field was rocks and boulders just as she suspected and at the far end sat the Gym Leader.

"I am Marisa, from Pallet Town and I wish to challenge you," Marisa announced standing in the challenger box.

The Gym Leader rose. He dressed in a baggy green shirt and brown cargo pants. His eyes were squinty and his brown hair stood up. "I am Forrest, the Pewter City Gym Leader. I am obligated to accept all challenges," he said pulling out a Pokeball. "We will use two Pokemon each." Forrest threw his ball. "Go, Graveler!" A large boulder looking Pokemon with arms appeared.

Marisa pulled out a Pokeball and threw it. "I choose you, Vaporeon!" A blue Pokemon with flippers for ears, a tail fin, and four legs came out.

"Let us begin. Graveler, use tackle!" Forrest yelled.

"Vaporeon, use your agility!" Marisa ordered. Vaporeon became a blue blur as it dodged Graveler's attacks.

"Graveler, use your rollout attack!" Graveler tucked its arms and began rolling at Vaporeon.

"Vaporeon, jump out of the way!" Vaporeon lept into the air, but was grazed by Graveler and flung into a boulder. "Are you all right?"

Vaporeon shook its head and stood giving Marisa a positive cry. Graveler charged again.

"Vaporeon, quickly jump on that boulder and over Graveler." Vaporeon did as it was told. "Now, hit it with your Ice Beam!" A blue beam shot out of Vaporeon's mouth and toward Graveler.

"Dodge it, Graveler!" Graveler turned to avoid it, but hit a boulder that slowed it down just enough for the attack to hit. Graveler was frozen solid.

"Graveler, return." Forrest said putting Graveler back in its ball. He pulled out another Pokeball. "Go, Steelix!" The ball was thrown and a Pokemon that looked like it was built of a bunch of steel boulders came out.

Marisa pulled out Vaporeon's ball. "That's enough, Vaporeon, return." Once the Pokemon had left the field, Marisa took out a new ball. "Go, Arcanine!"

The canine Pokemon gave a roar as it came out. Marisa was pleased to see Arcanine so ready to battle. She was not sure how it would be after the battle with Skarmory.

"Let's go!" Forrest called out once more. "Steelix, get it with a wrap!" The steel Pokemon swung its tail at Arcanine.

"Arcanine, Extreme Speed!" The canine Pokemon disappeared or seemed to, before it slammed into Steelix. The steel Pokemon seemed unfazed as its tail grabbed Arcanine.

"Arcanine, don't let it squeeze you!" Marisa called. "Wrap yourself with a Fire Spin!"

Arcanine spun a flame around itself. Steelix tried to wrap the other Pokemon, but the flame burned and heated its metal coat causing Steelix to drop Arcanine.

"Quickly, hit it with your Fire Blast!" Marisa ordered seeing an opening. The flames around Arcanine died down as it readied its new attack.

"Steelix, dig!" Forrest yelled, but Steelix's heavy, burned form could not move as fast as Arcanine. The canine sent the stick figure like flame at Sleelix slamming it into the middle of its back just as it started to dig. Steelix let out a loud cry as the attack hit. The steel Pokemon stopped moving.

"I'd say this is over," Marisa remarked. "Your Steelix is strong, but it's not nearly as fast as Arcanine."

"You're right. Steelix, return." Forrest said pulling out Steelix's ball and recalling the Pokemon.

Forrest walked toward Marisa as the female trainer recalled her own Pokemon. "Here, you've earned the Boulder Badge," he said holding out his hand.

Marisa took the badge. She was not surprised to find it shaped like a rock. "Thank you," she replied with a smile. She had just taken her first step toward her dream and she could not be happier.

**Next Chapter: Mt. Moon and Marisa's past starts to surface**

**A/N: This question came up in a review for this chapter. I used Forrest instead of Brock because the story is closer to the anime then just an original Pokemon story. Forrest is listed as the Pewter City Gym Leader since Brock is off becoming a Pokemon Doctor. Brock will, most likely, show up later, unless something happens and I just can't figure out how to get him in, but as of right now, he is planned to make an appearance, though I haven't decided if he'll have a steady girlfriend yet or not.  
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** Please Review!**


	4. Trouble in Mt Moon!

**A/N: With the posting of this chapter, I'll have posted everything I wrote months ago. In case anyone missed it, I did an edit on chapter 3 changing up a scene. Chapter 5 will be up… whenever I feel like posting it. I've got a term paper due in a week, so I haven't been writing as much as I would like, but I'll post up 5 within the week most likely.**

**X: Thank you for the review. The answer to your question is in chapter 3 now and I changed the scene you mentioned. After reading it, it was… well, it needed the change. Thank you for letting me know.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

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First to Victory: Chapter 4

"There's been digging in Mt. Moon?" Before leaving town, Marisa had decided to stop in at the Fossil Research Lab.

"That's right," Jeremy said, pulling out a map. Jeremy was only a lab assistant, but Marisa had done quite a bit of work with him. "People traveling through have said they've been hearing sounds of digging. Based on the reports, they seem to be coming from section B6." The assistant pointed to an area of the map. It was a dead end part of the mountain with little traffic.

"I was planning on passing through Mt. Moon on my way to Cerulean City," Marisa told him. "If you give me the map, I'll check that area for you and report back."

Jeremy happily agreed and Marisa left the lab with a map and a job to do. Of course, if she was going to complete the job, she would need a way to light her way. That being said, Marisa left Pewter City with new Pokemon in her team.

It took Marisa over a day to travel to Mt. Moon's entrance. She would have arrived sooner, but she slowed up to check for new Pokemon to catch.

"Umbreon, go!" She called out tossing a ball. Out popped the black and yellow moonlight Pokemon. "I'm going to need you to light the way for me," she told it. Umbreon made a sound of clear understanding.

"So, you have an Umbreon." Marisa looked up and locked eyes with Blake. "You know, I was wondering when you would show up. According to the map, this is the fastest path to Cerulean City."

Marisa frowned. "You really do have stalker habits… let me guess, you waited here because you don't have a Pokemon that can light the cave," she mocked standing up.

Blake smiled at her. "Not at all, I just wanted to see your beautiful face," he remarked pulling out a ball. "But I was thinking we could travel together for a bit. I heard rumors of Pokemon being stolen."

Marisa wanted to refuse, but talk of unauthorized digging and now Pokemon stealing, was not something she wanted to hear. Even though she would rather not travel with the trainer before her, she now suspected that she would need the extra help. With the new information, she was no longer as willing to do the task she had agreed to, but she was not the type of person to back out. "I'm going to be investigating rumors of digging in the mountain," she told him. "You are free to join me if you want, but it will delay you getting to Cerulean City."

"As a gentleman, I cannot allow a lovely lady to go off on something so dangerous alone," Blake said in a very charming manner. Marisa thought she was going to be sick.

"Whatever, if you are coming, let's get going, Mr. Pervert," Marisa said walking toward the cave entrance.

"Hold up," Blake called out throwing the Pokeball he was holding. The ball opened revealing a yellow Pokemon with a few black stripes around its neck, ears and tail. It had red gems on its head and tail and it stood on its back legs.

Marisa pulled out her Pokedex to find out what the Pokemon was.

"_Ampharos, the Light Pokémon. Ampharos emits a strong light from the tip of its tail, which can be seen over long distances and serve as a beacon to those who are lost."_

Blake smiled. "My Ampharos can help light the way," he said walking to Marisa's side. "Now, shall we be on our way?"

Marisa only nodded and began walking with Blake into the mountain. She was beginning to think that traveling with Blake might become useful if it gave her a chance to study his Pokemon. It might not have been the best reason to travel with him, but for the time, she would take it.

* * *

The pair walked through the mountain in relative silence. Marisa would say something every once in a while when they got to a fork in the path, but it was never to Blake directly. Of course, Blake did not even try to start a conversation, he just watched Marisa. He had expected her to flat out reject his offer to accompany her. Something was different about her today and he suspected it had to do with whatever they were looking for.

Umbreon suddenly stopped and went on guard. Marisa knelt down to her Pokemon. "I think Umbreon hears something," she told Blake. "We are close to the area I was told about. It's probably the people digging. We better be on our guard. Most likely, it's trouble."

Blake nodded. The pair moved slowly through the remaining tunnel path. As they went, they started to hear the sounds of digging and talking. The closer they came, the more cautious they became. Umbreon and Ampharos stopped illuminating the path as they entered an area that was well lit by lamps. Lamps were not something that was common within the mountain.

The area had clearly been dug in recently. Boulders laid aside and piles of dirt and rock with them. There were holes in the walls and even claw marks. It was clear that Pokemon were being used for the digging.

Marisa moved silently through the area until she could actually see a Sandslash digging. She and Umbreon ducked behind a boulder before being seen. Blake and Ampharos quickly joined them. Marisa reached into her bag and grabbed a camera out. If she was going to do this, she was going to do it right. She turned off the flash and moved it around the rock. Quickly, she started to snap pictures without looking. Anything she caught on camera would work as evidence, so it did not matter all that much.

"Who's there?" Someone yelled out. Marisa quickly withdrew the camera and stuffed it in her pack. Umbreon jumped out from behind the rock and begun growling.

Marisa slowly stood up. Umbreon did not growl for just any reason. She looked at the man that had called out. He wore all black except for the red R on the shirt. It was just as she expected. She held her hand to Blake indicating that she wanted him to stay put.

"Just someone that came to investigate this place," Marisa calmly told the man. She recognized him and it gave her a bad vibe. If he recognized her, they would definitely need to get out of the mountain fast.

The man stared at her for a moment. "Hold on, I know you. You're that damn, thief!" he suddenly exclaimed.

Marisa frowned. This would complicate things. She had known that even with no individual groups looking solely for her, that there would still be people that would recognize her. She was, most likely, on a wanted list.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Marisa," another voice said. A man that was dressed differently than the other guy stepped out. He wore a black jacket over a dark blue shirt as well as black pants and black boots. Around his waist were a number of Pokeballs. His hair was short and black, with some grey showing. On his face, was a short beard that mimicked his hair in color. The man was built like someone one would see in a wrestling ring or something similar. He stared at her with emerald eyes.

Marisa swallowed as she looked at the man. He was not someone she wanted to come across. "You… you are suppose to be in prison," she said in a low, uneasy tone.

"But I'm not and do not think that I'll let you escape again." The man threw a Pokeball and a Nidoking appeared. "Why don't we have a battle, for old time's sake?"

Marisa glanced down at Umbreon, who was still growling. Even though Umbreon was ready for battle, Marisa feared her Pokemon's safety. She was well aware of Nidoking's strength. Arcanine would be her best choice against it, but she was not sure it was worth the risk. She needed to get away, but she had no idea how. It was doubtful that they could just get away by turning and running alone.

It was then that Marisa felt her pants being tugged and she remembered Blake's presence beside her. She looked down at him. He held out a pair of sunglasses to her. Marisa did not fail to notice that Blake already wore a pair. She looked at him momentarily confused until Blake motioned to Ampharos' tail. Marisa quickly remembered the Pokedex entry and nodded to Blake before taking the sunglasses from him.

Marisa removed Umbreon's Pokeball from her belt. "I refuse to battle you," she spoke, loudly and clearly as she returned Umbreon to its ball.

The man laughed. "So, you are surrendering? That will make things much easier."

Marisa smirked. "Not at all," she remarked putting on the sunglasses she had taken from Blake. That was Ampharos' cue. The light Pokemon walked out into view and turned its back to the enemy. Ampharos then looked over at Blake, who nodded at the Pokemon.

A bright light resonated from Ampharos' tail filling the room with a blinding light. Blake recalled his Pokemon before the light could die down. The trainers then fled the area. They could not really see where they were going, but they knew they needed to get away and fast.

The pair ran until they reached an exit. At that point, they did not care, which exit they reached as long as they got out. As luck would have it, they exited on the Cerulean side of the mountain.

Marisa and Blake collapsed right outside the mountain. There was still some light out, but the sun was starting to set. Marisa pulled out her Pokegear, once she felt like she could speak clearly, and called the lab to let them know what they had found in the mountain. During this, she failed to notice how intently Blake was watching her.

"Are you all right?" Blake asked once Marisa had put her Pokegear away.

Marisa sighed. She knew that he really wanted to ask about what went on in the mountain, but was holding back. He had a right to know if that was what he wanted. "You probably want to know what that was about," she said tossing a Pokeball. Umbreon came out. The moonlight Pokemon looked around cautiously before moving to Marisa's side.

"I'll admit to being curious, but you don't have to tell me," Blake said not wanting to pressure her. He had a feeling that the subject was not an easy one. "I'm more concerned with how you are doing. You seemed pretty shook up in there."

Marisa stroked Umbreon. "Three years ago, I stole a group of Pokemon from Team Rocket. They have been after me ever since," Marisa told him. "That was one of the groups that had been chasing me. That particular group… well, I had managed to get them arrested, so if I seem shook up it would be because I did not expect to see them again."

Blake looked at Umbreon and remembered how it had reacted to the people in the mountain. "Was Umbreon one of those Pokemon?"

Marisa nodded. "That's right. I rescued Umbreon back when it was just an Eevee." Marisa finally looked at Blake. "Listen, if you stick around me, you'll be targeted too, so you better just leave me alone."

Blake smiled and set a hand on Marisa's cheek. "If I get to spend time with you, I don't care who I have to run from," he told her gently. "Besides, I think we make a pretty good team."

Marisa stared at him. Normally, she would turn away and shoot him down, but she could not deny that he had helped her. When she needed the help, he had been there. What that meant exactly, she could not say. She was, however, quite thankful to him, but that did not mean she was going to let his charm pull her in. Therefore, she resisted the pull to hit him and stood up breaking the contact.

"We need to get going," Marisa finally said avoiding the issue. She needed to think about what he said. It seemed to her that he wanted her as a partner. Could she really handle having him as a partner? Did she really have any desire to be around him like that?

Marisa returned Umbreon to its Pokeball. Blake said nothing, but followed her. He had a feeling that she was still hiding something from him, but he was not going to push it. He wanted Marisa to trust him. It was clear to him, that trust was not something that came easy to the female trainer, especially after what she told him about. If he wanted to even be friends with her, he needed to get her to open up more. Blake watched her as he walked behind her. He did not know why he cared so much, but Marisa brought out something in him that he had tossed aside a long time ago.

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**Next Chapter: Arrival in Cerulean City!**

**A/N: Please Review.**


	5. Encounter in Cerulean City!

**A/N: I'm a bit behind on working on the story as a result of other things, but I will keep trying to post regularly.**

**X: I find myself waiting to hear what you think of each chapter. Marisa's back story will come into play more later, but more will be revealed with time.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

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First to Victory: Chapter 5

When Blake and Marisa arrived in Cerulean City, night had come, but there were still things that needed to be done. Marisa went to the police to file a report and hand over the photos she had taken. Blake went with her only because she did not tell him to leave. He took every opportunity he could get to stay with her.

Following the Police station, the pair went to the Pokemon Center. After giving Nurse Joy her Pokemon, Marisa headed to the phones to call Professor Oak and went on to fill him in on the day's events. The Professor urged her to continue her journey and left her with much to think about that night.

When morning came, the pair gathered there Pokemon and headed for the Cerulean Gym. Marisa had been there a few times with Tracy, so she knew exactly where it was. Blake did not have a clue, so he pretty much followed her lead.

The Cerulean Gym had a huge Dewgong on it. Anyone that did not know the gym's specialty would know once they saw it. In addition to being a Pokemon gym, it was known for putting on shows using water Pokemon. Marisa noted the lack of people in front of the gym as a sign that a show was not scheduled for that day. There was, however, a sign on the door. Blake groaned when he saw it.

"Another gym closed," Blake said sighing. "Why do I have such bad luck with gyms here?"

"It's only been two," Marisa said looking at the gym doors. "Besides, I know the leader and if we can find her, she'll accept a challenge." At least that was what Marisa was hoping. She really did not want to stay in town an extra day. There was risk that Team Rocket would be tracking her down knowing she would most likely be close.

"Easy to say, but how do you expect us to find the leader," Blake asked doubting Marisa's optimism.

"Marisa, is that you?" A female voice came from behind the pair. Blake and Marisa turned to face the voice.

Marisa smiled as she saw who it was. The woman was wearing a yellow sleeveless hoodie, short jean shorts, and white sneakers. She wore her short orange hair down around her face, which seemed to make her green eyes shine. Marisa recognized her immediately.

"Hey, Misty, I was just looking for you," Marisa told her walking toward the other woman. It was then that she noticed the man with Misty. Over his messy black hair sat a red and white Pokemon League hat. He wore a black shirt with a blue short sleeve hoodie that zipped open and closed sitting over it, light blue jeans, and black and white sneakers. Sitting on his shoulder was a yellow, mouse like Pokemon, Marisa immediately recognized as a Pikachu.

Marisa stared at the man for a moment. She was sure that she had seen him somewhere before. It was not like her to forget a face. She needed to remember faces to keep herself safe.

"Looking for me?" Misty questioned looking between Marisa and Blake.

Marisa turned her attention back to Misty. "Yeah, we were hoping that we could talk you into letting us battle for a gym badge," she explained.

"Both of you? I wasn't aware that you were competing, Marisa," Misty commented looking at the younger female.

Before Marisa could answer, Blake stepped in. "Excuse me, but Marisa, who are these people?" he asked, not liking that he was virtually being ignored.

"Huh, oh right, you wouldn't know," Marisa remarked. "This is Misty, the Cerulean City Gym Leader." Marisa motioned to the other female. It was then that she realized where she had seen the male from. There were pictures of him standing with Misty back in Pallet Town. She turned to him. "You're Ash Ketchum, correct?" she asked him a little unsure of herself.

The male was taken off guard. "Uh, yeah, I am. Have we met before?" Ash replied clearly confused.

"No, not in person, anyway," Marisa answered. "I've been working with Professor Oak for the past 2 years and I occasionally have tea with your Mom."

"Oh, so you are that assistant Professor Oak was talking about," Ash remarked studying her.

"I didn't know he talked about me," the female trainer replied a bit embarrassed by the idea.

Blake let out a little cough that showed his irritation. Marisa looked back at him with a glare, but knew why he had done it. She looked back at Misty. "Anyway, would you give us battles?"

"All right," Misty agreed. "But in exchange, the two of you have to treat us to dinner tonight."

Marisa smiled. "Sound like a fair deal to me. Are you all right with that?" Marisa looked over at Blake rather than say his name.

Blake nodded. He had no problem paying for dinner since it meant spending more time with Marisa and getting a gym battle. It was more than worth it to him.

"Who do I get to battle first?" Misty suddenly asked looking between the two trainers.

"He can go first." Marisa replied before Blake could say anything. Blake was surprised by Marisa's willingness to go second.

Marisa then turned to Ash. "While he battles, would you give me a warm up battle?" she asked him quickly. "Just a one-on-one battle with you and Pikachu, I'm curious to see how I'd match up."

Ash smiled and looked at Pikachu. "You up for a battle, Buddy?" he asked the mouse Pokemon. Pikachu cheered and jumped off Ash's shoulder ready to fight.

Misty walked over to Blake. "Let's go get our battle started as well," she told him before unlocking the door and heading into the gym. Blake took one last look at Marisa before disappearing with Misty inside.

Marisa backed away from Ash and Pikachu to give them plenty of room for the battle. She reached for her Pokemon and thought about who to use. Umbreon was her natural choice for these kinds of battles, but she decided to go a different route. Rather than going for the win, she was going to go for battle experience and she knew just the Pokemon. She quickly pulled out its ball. "Go, Flareon!" she said as she threw the ball.

A red Pokemon with a bushy yellow tail and main came out. That morning, Marisa had decided to switch out Arcanine for Flareon, so that she could train the flame Pokemon. She was now glad that she had done that.

There was quite on the battlefield as the two Pokemon stared at each other. "Pikachu," Ash finally called out. "Start this off with a Quick Attack." Pikachu disappeared as it moved in quickly toward Flareon.

"Flareon, don't let him get close. Use smog!" Marisa called out in turn. Flareon opened its mouth and released the black smoke from it surrounding it like a mist.

Pikachu stopped moving outside the smoke and looked around for Flareon. "Flareon, tackle!" Marisa called out.

The fire Pokemon ran out of the smog toward Pikachu, but the electric Pokemon was faster and jumped out of the way. "Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Ash then called out. Pikachu's tail started to glow as it swung it at Flareon.

"Dodge it!" Marisa yelled out, but Flareon could not move fast enough and took a hard hit from Pikachu's attack. Flareon slowly got back on its feet.

"Flareon, are you all right?" Marisa asked her Pokemon. She could tell that it had taken a hard hit. The flame Pokemon called out and stared at Pikachu. "Good, get close to now with a quick attack!"

Flareon ran toward Pikachu moving in a wavy line as it circled the mouse Pokemon. Pikachu watched it closely and easily evaded the attack when Flareon moved for the hit, but Flareon was not done yet. "Now, Sand Attack," Marisa ordered while Pikachu was in the air dodging.

Flareon slowed down by skidding to a stop sending sand at Pikachu. "Pikachu, close your eyes," Ash ordered. Pikachu quickly did as he was told.

"Quickly, Flareon, flamethrower!" The fire Pokemon reared back its head before sending a power flame stream from its mouth toward Pikachu.

"Shield yourself," Ash quickly ordered. Pikachu charged up electricity around itself creating a shield like effect.

The flame hit the still floating Pikachu and appeared to do damage, but when the flames died down and Pikachu landed, it looked as if it had not been hit at all. Pikachu was more than ready to continue the fight. Marisa was impressed with the team work Ash and Pikachu were showing. It was clear how close they were. They were much more experienced then her and Flareon.

"Quick, Tackle it!" Marisa yelled. Flareon charged toward Pikachu, hoping to get a hit in.

"Agility," Ash called out. The mouse seemed to disappear just as Flareon was about to hit it. The flame Pokemon looked around hoping to keep the other Pokemon in sight. "Pikachu, Tackle!"

"Dodge right," Marisa yelled out. Flareon quickly jumped to the right dodging the electric Pokemon's attack. "Now use Flamethrower!"

The fire Pokemon shot another flame stream from its mouth. This time, the range was much closer than before and caught Pikachu off guard. The flame made contact knocking Pikachu away, but Pikachu was far from out. As the flames died, Pikachu pulled itself up and stared down Flareon. He was more than ready for another assault.

"Flareon, try another Tackle!" Marisa ordered hoping that the damage from the flamethrower would slow down the electric Pokemon.

"Pikachu, charge at Flareon," Ash ordered. The two Pokemon ran at each other. "Pikachu, Volt Tackle!" Electricity surged around Pikachu right before the two Pokemon collided. Both Pokemon were knocked down, but only one of them was out.

Marisa ran to Flareon's side. She stoked her Pokemon awake. "Good job, Flareon. You've earned a nice rest," she told it pulling out its Pokeball.

With Flareon safely back in its ball, Marisa stood up and turned to Ash, who was holding Pikachu. She smiled at the other trainer. "Thank you for the battle, I learned quite a bit from you," she told him. This lend to them discussing battle techniques as they headed for the Pokemon Center. Neither expected Marisa's battle with Misty to take place any time soon. Talking was a means to pass the time.

* * *

Dinner that night was a pleasant time. Blake and Marisa had walked out of the gym with new Cascade badges and were now enjoying hamburgers and fries alongside Ash and Misty. Marisa was thankful that she was not alone with Blake. She did not know what the pervert would try next if given the chance. She was grateful to him for his help in Mt. Moon, but she was not grateful enough to allow him to touch her like he had done in Viridian City. Come morning, she was going to ditch him and head for the next gym.

"So, are the two of you going to the Pokemon Expo or are you going to train until the gyms reopen?" Misty asked suddenly around the middle of the meal.

Marisa and Blake looked at her confused. "The gyms are going to be close?" Blake questioned, not liking the sound of encountering more delays.

"Did you say the Pokemon Expo? I think I remember Professor Oak saying something about that coming to the Kanto region," Marisa replied trying to recall exactly what she remembered hearing.

"The Pokemon Expo is a huge convention that travels to the various regions. Each year, it is held somewhere different," Ash explained. "Vermilion City is hosting it. All the gym leaders are closing the gyms for the duration of the Expo, but if you find a Gym Leader, they are accepting challenges."

"In addition to that, there will be tons of exhibitions, including appearances by Elite Four members," Misty added on. "There are also plenty of booths and displays to look at. It is free to attend, but if you want to see any of the exhibitions, you have to buy a ticket as seating is limited."

Marisa chuckled a little. "You sound like a sales woman, Misty," the younger trainer remarked. "But you sold me on it. Besides, if there are no gyms open, then it sounds like the best chance to earn badges is at the Expo." Marisa had another reason for considering attending, but she was not going to speak it out loud.

Blake looked at her for a moment before looking back at Ash and Misty. "I might as well go too. Seem like a good chance to learn something and I cannot let Marisa get too far ahead of me if I'm going to be a good rival." He smiled at the other trainer. Marisa just rolled her eyes and took another bite of her burger.

"You two should travel with us then," Ash offered. "We leave in the morning, which was why Misty had kept the gym closed today. She wanted to get ready for the trip. The Expo starts in a few days… this weekend, actually. It will take a little time to get there."

"Sounds good to me," Marisa replied. She really did not want to travel more with Blake, but the idea of traveling with Ash and Misty seemed like a positive note. Prior to her battle with Misty, Ash had been telling her about his encounters with Team Rocket. If anyone knew how to fight back against them, it was Ash, but Marisa was not sure how much she should tell the older trainer regarding her own situation. Being associated with her was enough to get someone in trouble, which made things messy, but maybe she could get some good information out of Ash as they traveled. It was probably worth taking a chance.

* * *

Marisa laid in the Pokemon Center's sleeping quarters that night and thought about the day's events. Flareon had performed well against Pikachu, even if the end result had been a loss. It made Marisa realize how lacking she had been with the fire Pokemon's training. Arcanine was her primary fire type, mainly because it had been her starter Pokemon, back when it was just a Growlithe. Flareon tended to be over looked as a result. Marisa was determined to remedy the large gap between the two Pokemon. Flareon was going to start receiving much more training.

In the later battle of the day, Marisa had been quite proud of her Pokemon. She had opted to use her Jolteon rather than match Misty in the type category. Jolteon fought exceptionally well against Misty's Gyarados and Seadra using its powerful Pin Missile and Thunder attacks. By type standards, the outcome was virtually predetermined, but Marisa had not gone into the fight overconfident. She had more than one Pokemon with electric attacks. The other Pokemon would have done well on the watery field, but it was the baby of the team. It would have been risky to use, but had it come to it, Marisa was sure her Pokemon would have come out on top. Luckily for her, the switch had not been needed.

The gym floor was a large swimming pool with white platforms floating on top. It was designed to give water Pokemon massive advantages against land types. Had Marisa been worried about the field, she would have chosen Vaporeon for the battle, but she trusted Jolteon to handle it.

Misty had started with her Seadra. The sea horse Pokemon proved to be a challenge to hit as it kept shooting sludge all over the platforms making it hard for Jolteon to gain footing, but when it moved to attack Jolteon with its BubbleBeam, the electric Pokemon was able to counter with a powerful, electrically charged, midair, Pin Missile assault that completely took Seadra out.

Next up was Misty's Gyarados. The powerful Pokemon used Hyper Beam and Hydro Pump to attempt to take out the electric Pokemon. Jolteon was forced on the defensive early on in the match. The Hydro Pumps cleared the sludge off the platforms allowing Jolteon to gain better footing, but Jolteon still took serious damage from a well aimed Hyper Beam. Marisa thought she would have to recall her Pokemon when it climbed back on its feet.

Misty ordered Gyarados to fire a Hydro Pump to finish Jolteon off, but it back fired. The electric Pokemon managed to dodge and before Gyarados could dive under water again, Jolteon fired off a Thunder attack that lit up the entire room. It was truly a sight to see. Gyarados was floating in the water with Jolteon standing on top of the defeating Pokemon in a proud stance. The battle had ended.

Marisa stared at the bed above her. She knew her team was strong, but she was still unsure that she could fight off Team Rocket well with them and yet, she was more than aware that her team would fight to the end if given the chance. Today's battles had helped her see both the strengths and the weaknesses that seemed to exist in her team. From now on, she would need to push all of them, including herself, harder, if she was going to keep them safe.

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**Next Chapter: Pidgey's day to shine and arrival at the Pokemon Expo!**

**A/N: I'm sure you'll notice how I did not really write out a battle scene for Marisa vs. Misty. There was no real reason for the lack except that it did not feel right to have both battles. Now, I need a little assistance with something.**

**The Safari Zone is planning to make an appearance (at this time). I am debating what Pokemon to put in it, so if anyone wants to make a few suggestions, please feel free.**

**I also need a character name. It's a male character and he's a jerk (basically). Right now, the only name I've been able to come up with is that of my ex-boyfriend and I'd rather keep personal stuff out of the story, so if someone wants to help me with a name, please do.**

**Please Review! **


	6. Pidgey and Vermilion City!

**A/N: I only have one chapter actually finished after this one due to holiday and term paper, but I have classes again next week (and the term paper is due Monday), so I'll be writing hard again if Golden Sun: Dark Dawn does not eat me alive.**

**Jmllei: Thank you for the story favorite.**

**X: To be honest, I just watched my first DP episode yesterday (and that was cause Cyndaquil and Totodile were in it). I actually stopped watching when Misty left the show. Anything I know about the stuff past that is because I read up on it on the wiki.  
Marisa: 18 years old  
Blake: 18 years old  
Misty: 20 years old  
Ash: 20 years old  
Thanks for the usual review and for trying to help with the questions I posted. I do like your names, so I'll probably use one of them.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

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First to Victory: Chapter 6

SLAP! The sound of skin hitting skin echoed through the air. It was the fifth time that day the sound had been heard. Marisa was barely keeping herself from sending Umbreon out to teach the Pervert next to her a lesson. The weather had been nice, but the company was up for debate.

Ash and Misty were all right, but Blake was completely out of hand. Once he realized that he was not going to get left behind, he started to get really bad about his touching and the whole thing was irritating the female trainer. Currently, they were only a couple of hours out of Vermilion City and Marisa was very thankful. The other two companions had assured her that the place would be crowded, which would make it easy for Marisa to slip away from Blake and any members of Team Rocket that might be following her. At that point, the potential to get all eight badges that she needed for the Pokemon League was far from her mind.

Blake stared at Marisa. The reason he had been being so touchy with her was simply because he could tell that she was worried about something and he wanted to calm her down or at least take her mind off of her worries since beating him up was obviously not a means to calm anyone. However, he could easily tell that he was failing. Marisa had managed to lock herself up again and he had really thought that he was finally getting to her.

The group stopped for lunch at a lake north of the city. When tomorrow hit, the place would probably be crowded, but for now it was nice. Marisa let Pidgey out of its ball so it could get some fresh air. She had not let it out for a while and felt a bit bad, but it was not strong enough to take on Gym Leaders and Team Rocket yet. Pidgey flew around for a bit before taking a spot next to Pikachu. The two Pokemon seemed to get along well.

"How long have you had Pidgey, Marisa?" Misty asked while they were eating their sandwiches.

Marisa looked over at her Pokemon. "I caught Pidgey as I was leaving Pallet Town," she replied before turning back. "So it hasn't been long, but it is strong. It won its first battle and I hadn't even started to train it."

"That was its first battle?" Blake said surprised by the information he just received. He remembered watching Pidgey battling a Pidgeotto while he was in Viridian City. Pidgey had looked like it had been really trained during the battle. It had not hesitated to obey Marisa's orders and looked as if it really trusted her.

Marisa looked at Blake and quickly remembered that it had been the same day she met him. "That's right. Pidgey and I bonded quite quickly," she told him. Marisa reached over and stroked her Pokemon.

Blake found himself wishing that he was the Pokemon. He saw how much Marisa cared about her team. They were treated like family. He was sure that Marisa would do everything she could to protect them. It was a bond similar to the one he had with his own Pokemon, but based on what Marisa had told him outside of Mt. Moon, he was sure that it was much stronger than his own. She had told him that she had saved Umbreon and a few others from Team Rocket and now lives in fear of them coming and taking her friends away. He knew that she did not want his help, but he wanted to help her. The problem was that he had no idea how to go about it. With other females, he always knew what to say. Marisa was not even close to being like other females.

* * *

Marisa kept Pidgey out as they headed back on their way. Pidgey was very grateful for the air and pleasantly chirped away as they walked. Pikachu road on Ash's shoulder near Pidgey and sometimes tried to join in on the bird Pokemon's song. Blake walked on the other side of Ash and Misty, which made Marisa happy as it meant that she would not have to deal with his busy hands. For a while, things seemed to be pretty calm. Of course, they had not entered town yet…

The City was packed with people and the Expo was not even supposed to start until the next day. Forcefully, the group made their way through. There were designated camping areas around the city. Ash and Misty already had a spot reserved for the week and so they needed to go check in.

Marisa could see medical tents set up around the area to help with the treatment of Pokemon and guests. There were also food stands and outdoor cafes setting up to assist with getting everyone fed. Off in less crowded corners, Marisa could see trainers putting their Pokemon through some drills in order to prepare them for street shows. Those who were not setting up or preparing were battling or watching battles. There was excitement all around and the Expo had not even started yet.

The group found the camp ground and found out where their tents were. Since Marisa and Blake did not have reservations, Ash and Misty let them share the tents with them. Naturally, the females would sleep separately from the males. There were motels and hotels in the city, but they had been reserved for the workers and special guests and while Misty could have gotten a room, she decided to camp instead.

Now that the group knew where they were staying, they no longer needed to stick together. Marisa and Pidgey were the first to leave the group. The female trainer was determined to get in a couple of matches before the real events started.

It was not hard for Marisa to find a trainer to battle. In fact, she found herself an overconfident trainer. He was bragging about winning multiple matches in a row and how he was unbeatable. The boy was closed to Evan's age and Marisa found herself liking Evan a lot more after seeing the kid before her.

"I'll take you on," she told him stepping out of the ring of people. "Let's see how good you really are."

The kid smiled and pulled out a Pokeball. "Two Pokemon each work for you?"

Marisa smirked. "Fine with me," she replied before looking at the bird Pokemon sitting on her shoulder. "Pidgey, you're up first." The bird Pokemon chirped as it flew off her shoulder.

"A Pidgey? Oh this will be too easy," the boy said before throwing his Pokeball. "Go, Beedrill!"

The Pokeball opened to reveal the yellow and black bug Pokemon. The Beedrill was at least 3 times larger than Pidgey. The bird Pokemon did not back down from the battle.

"You say it will be easy and yet, you choose a Pokemon that is weak against flying Pokemon, well, we shall see if you can win," Marisa remarked. "Pidgey, start things off with a Quick Attack!" The bird Pokemon moved fast and rammed hard into the Beedril before it could react.

"Ugh, Beedrill, don't let that little bird do that, get it with your Fury Attack!" the other trainer yelled. The Beedrill swooped down and started trying to hit Pidgey with its stingers. Pidgey tried to dodge, but was clipped by the stingers and fell to the ground. "Don't let it get away, Pin Missile!"

"Pidgey, use Gust!" Marisa quickly ordered. Pidgey flew up a little and beat its wings fast as the Pin Missile began to rain down. The gust was strong enough to cause the attack to completely miss.

"Don't let it do that, get in there with your Fury Attack," the other trainer ordered. Beedrill swooped down toward Pidgey, but this time, Pidgey was much too fast for Beedrill. "What? Hit that bird already!"

Marisa smiled as she realized that Pidgey had just learned agility. "Pidgey, get away from that Beedrill and hit it hard with a high speed tackle," she called out.

Pidgey flew in circles around Beedrill a few times. The bug Pokemon continued to try to hit the speedy bird Pokemon, but kept missing. Then, Pidgey slammed into it knocking it to the ground. When the smoke cleared, it was clear that Pidgey had won.

Marisa smiled and was about to call Pidgey back when she saw that her Pokemon was glowing. She watched until the light died down and her newly evolved Pokemon called out. Pidgey had evolved into Pidgeotto at last. Marisa had suspected that it was coming. The female trainer held out her arm and gave the bird Pokemon a place to land. She gently stroked the Pokemon.

The other trainer recalled his Beedrill and pulled out another Pokeball. "Magneton, I choose you!" An electric Pokemon that looked like two Magnemite came out of the Pokeball. Pidgeotto flew off Marisa's arm ready to battle.

"Pidgeotto, not this time," she told the bird as she pulled out a new Pokeball. This was turning into a good battle. She was getting the chance to train two Pokemon that needed it. Marisa tossed the ball. "Go, Flareon!"

Flareon cried as it came out of the ball. It was more than ready for battle. Marisa smiled and hoped that a win would make Flareon feel better after the loss to Pikachu before.

"Magneton, use Thunderbolt!" The electric Pokemon sent an electric surge right at Flareon.

"Dodge it and use Flamethrower," Marisa called out. Flareon barely jumped out of the way, but as it did, it sent a powerful flame toward Magneton.

"SonicBoom!" Magneton sent out a blast of air toward the fire, which cut right through it.

"Get out of the way!" Marisa yelled, but Flareon was not able to move fast enough and was knocked back by the attack.

"Get in close and use Zap Cannon!" Magneton flew in close as it charged up energy in its tips. Flareon climbed to its feet.

"Don't let it get to use, wrap yourself with a Fire Spin," Marisa ordered just as Magneton sent the electric blast forth. Flareon had just started to cover itself with flames when the attack hit. The combined attacks caused an explosion and filled the battlefield with smoke.

Marisa looked up at Pidgeotto. The bird Pokemon understood and quickly cleared the smoke from the battlefield with its gust attack.

Magneton and Flareon looked hurt, but were still ready to fight. The smoke had given Marisa and idea though. "Flareon, Smog!" she called out before her opponent could issue another order. Flareon opened its mouth and flooded the field with the dark mist.

"Magneton, use Lock-On," the trainer ordered.

"Too slow, Flareon, Quick Attack and follow up with a Fire Spin!" Marisa yelled out. The next thing that was seen was Magneton getting knocked out of the smog by means of Flareon's Quick Attack and before it could do anything else, Flareon sent a Fire Spin at it surrounded it with hot flames. The match was over. As the flames cleared, it was obvious that Marisa had won.

* * *

It was late when Marisa returned to camp. After numerous battles, she decided she needed stop by one of the Medical Tents and have her Pokemon checked out. It had taken a while because of all the trainers that had been battling for the same reason as her. She was feeling much stronger and many times more confident in her abilities after all the battles, which made them worth it.

Marisa slipped in next to Misty, with a smile on her face. She was ready for the Expo to start, but for the moment, she knew she needed sleep, so with that thought, Marisa closed her eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Pokemon Expo begins and how does Marisa know **_**that**_** man…**

**A/N: This was not a favorite chapter of mine to write. In fact, it was an unplanned chapter, so in a way, it's a filler chapter. The battle scene just kind of created itself.**

**Repeating the Questions from last chapter in case anyone wants to answer them.**

**The Safari Zone is planning to make an appearance (at this time). I am debating what Pokemon to put in it, so if anyone wants to make a few suggestions, please feel free.**

**I also need a character name. It's a male character and he's a jerk (basically). Right now, the only name I've been able to come up with is that of my ex-boyfriend and I'd rather keep personal stuff out of the story, so if someone wants to help me with a name, please do.**

**Adding new question:**

**Should I keep most of the Gym Leaders the same, or change some like I did with Forrest and Brock?**


	7. Pokemon Expo Begins!

**A/N: Well, I didn't think it would take me this long to post this, but chapter 8 has a major battle scene and it is taking a while to get done, so I wanted to slow down on posting. I have also been very much addicted to Golden Sun: Dark Dawn. Finals are coming up, but I do hope to at least be able to put up a chapter a week.**

**X: Thanks as always. I was thinking about swapping Koga with Janine. I've also been thinking about giving Blaine an apprentice, but nothing is solid yet. Thanks for answering the question.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

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First to Victory: Chapter 7

The first day of the Expo was just as busy as the previous day, only now trainers were performing with their Pokemon and vendors were selling goods. A ticket booth was also open to sell tickets for the Main Events.

Marisa looked at the booths as she walked by, occasionally stopping to take a closer look at the merchandise. Her primary goal was not to shop though; it was to find Gym Leaders and possibly a schedule for the Main Events. Misty had told her that morning that the Gym Leaders would be wearing their gym badges on their shirts as a sign for trainers. However, even knowing that, she was not having much luck.

"Find any Gym Leaders?" A voice asked close to her ear. Marisa resisted the urge to punch the speaker in the stomach.

"What makes you think I would tell you if I did?" Marisa asked turning to face Blake.

Blake grabbed Marisa by the waist and pulled her close. "I thought we were friends," he softly whispered with a tone of seduction.

Marisa knew she was blushing. She could honestly say that she did not hate him and that his touch was not completely undesirable. What she did not like was that she was sure that she was not the only one that he used such moves against. She knew what men like Blake did. They caught their pray and then left them alone. That was why Marisa was not going to give into him.

The female trainer pushed the male away. "Hands off," she quickly told him. "If you want to be friends, you should act more like one."

"I think you like it," Blake replied leaning close.

Marisa was about to reply when something caught her eye. It was a black and red streak. A dangerous combination for sure, but she felt that she knew it. Without a word to Blake, Marisa took off through the crowd aiming in the direction she saw the figure heading.

Blake followed Marisa as closely as he could, which was not very close. At best, he was keeping her insight. He knew that she saw something and his hope was that it was a Gym Leader.

Marisa turned down an alley way that she was sure she had seen the man take. She could hear the light sound of water like that from a fountain. Moving more quietly, but quickly, she moved down the alley toward the sound. As she exited, she saw the figure she knew she would.

The man was sitting on the side of a stone fountain that was made in the shape of dolphins. He stood out clearly against it. The man wore a black cape that was red on the inside part. The red actually matched his spiky hair. A sliver clasped kept the cape around his neck. The rest of his outfit was primarily blue with black around his wrists and his boots were also black, with some gold stripes around the top. There were three strips of gold going down the rest of his body. These stopped right under his black belt and made a design that made the upper part look like a tunic, but in reality, the whole thing was a one piece outfit.

Marisa smiled and ran toward him. "Lance!" she yelled out as she ran.

Blake turned the corner just in time to see Marisa jump into another man's arms. He was in shock as he watched her hug the red haired man. In fact, he was more shocked when he realized that he knew the man she was with.

"Marisa?" Lance said as he hugged the woman back. "Now this is a surprise. What are you doing here?"

Marisa released her hold on the Dragon Master and looked up at him. "I've started traveling again," she told him. "I tried to let you know, but when I called, you weren't around. Did you have something to do with that capture of all those Team Rocket members?"

"I figured you would find out about that. They have been a hard bunch to keep tabs on lately. We got lucky with that one," Lance admitted. "Have you been all right? With the traveling?"

Marisa shook her head. "I ran into some that knew me at Mt. Moon… including him…" the female trainer hesitantly admitted.

"So you were the trainer... "The dragon master slowly said as he thought.

"So this is where you ran to, Marisa." Marisa turned around and glared at Blake.

"Would you stop following me?" she snapped irritated that he had interrupted her conversation with Lance.

"Well, I didn't know you were here," Lance commented moving so that he was standing beside Marisa. "I thought you would take a second run through the Silver Conference after that loss."

Marisa looked up at Lance. "You know him?"

"He challenged my cousin Clair, the Blackthorn City Gym Leader, while I was there visiting," he told her. "And she hasn't stopped talking about him since."

"Maybe I will someday, but for now, I'm here," Blake replied a little more harshly than he would have liked.

"Clearly." Lance looked down at Marisa. "That reminds me, how is that Pokemon I gave you doing?"

"It's doing well. Want to see it?" She asked pulling out a Pokeball.

"What? You gave Marisa a Pokemon?" Blake asked shocked and even found himself angry by the news.

Lance nodded. "A Pokemon to protect her in my place," he replied. "Let's see it, Marisa."

Marisa tossed the ball in the direction of the fountain. The ball opened to reveal the Pokemon inside. The Pokemon had a white nose and belly. The top of its body was blue with little white fins sticking out from its head and a little white spot at the middle of its brow. It looked at the group with wide purple eyes as it sat in the water.

"A Dratini?" Blake would be lying if he said he was not surprised. When he had been in Blackthorn, he had been forbidden from catching any of the dragon Pokemon that took residence there and yet, here was Marisa kneeling beside a dragon Pokemon that had been given to her by none other than Lance himself. What annoyed him more, however, was what Lance had said when he asked about the Dragon Master giving her a Pokemon.

Blake was well aware that Lance was not young in age at least in comparison to himself. He did not know Lance's exact age, but he was sure the Dragon Master was at least 10 years older than himself. However, he was also aware that age did not always matter to some people and judging by the smile on Marisa's face, he was getting the feeling that Marisa was one of those people. Even if that was the case, Blake was not going to give up. Sure, he was a few steps behind, but he wanted Marisa, but to get her, he knew he had to beat Lance.

Marisa and Lance sat next to Dratini and the female trainer stoked it. "I used Vaporeon and Jolteon to teach it a few attacks," Marisa explained to Lance. "I've been waiting for the right time to use it in a real battle. So far, it has only gotten experience battling wild Pokemon."

"It seems to be very happy with you, Marisa. It would seem that I made the right choice letting you have it," the Dragon Master commented.

Blake found himself getting angrier as he watched Lance and Marisa chat like old friends, or possibly something more. He could not exactly pinpoint the exact feeling he had going on, but he did not like what he was seeing. It was the kind of feeling that made people do stupid things, but he knew that he had to do what he was thinking. He needed an answer.

"Lance!" Blake suddenly called out. Both trainers looked up at Blake. "I challenge you to a battle!"

All went silent for a few moments. "Did you hit your head?" Marisa suddenly asked. Lance just looked between the two younger trainers.

Blake was slightly hurt by Marisa's question. "I'm fine," he said more harshly than he wanted to. He looked back to Lance. "What do you say?"

Lance smirked. "All right, I'll take you on, but it will have to wait," he replied standing up. "I'm due at the Main Events hall for a demonstration. Let's meet back here tomorrow morning for a little match."

Marisa looked at Lance. "Are you seriously going to take him on? Seems like a waste," she remarked.

Lance held out his hand toward Marisa. "Would you care to join me at the demonstration? It may help Dratini to see some dragons in action."

Marisa did not miss that Lance ignored her comment. "I don't have a ticket though."

Lance smiled at her in a way that made Blake even angrier. "Don't worry, I'll get you in."

Marisa took Lance's hand accepting the invitation. He pulled her on her feet. "I'm in. It'll be nice to see you battling again." The female turned and recalled Dratini.

Blake could hardly bring himself to move as he watched the pair walk away.

* * *

Marisa started back to the camp late that night. Not many people were out. There were a few battles finishing up, but for the most part, it was pretty quiet. Marisa did not mind. Most people in her position would be afraid to be out late, but not Marisa. Back when she had been constantly running, she had spent most of her time traveling at night and knew how to use the darkness to her advantage.

The other reason she was not afraid was even simpler. Lance was not far away. The Dragon Master was her strongest ally against Team Rocket. He was the one person that knew everything about her situation. Professor Oak and Gary knew quite a bit about her past, but she had left some material out for their safety. Lance was different. She had known that she could trust him and for the past 3 years, he had been working with other trainers in an effort to shatter Team Rocket's influence in the Kanto region.

Marisa recalled her day with Lance. Following the demonstration, the Dragon Master had taken her out to lunch, which ended up being a really positive event. While eating, Marisa encountered the Saffron City Gym Leader, Sabrina. Since both of them were still having lunch, battle arrangements were made for an after lunch battle at one of the fields to the north of town. This gave Marisa a chance to check her Gym Leader notes and swap out one Pokemon with another.

Lance joined her at the battlefield on the pretext of wanting to see her battle, but Marisa doubted that it was his only reason. They had not had much of a chance to really talk and she had a feeling that he wanted to bring up _**that**_ topic again. She was not sure how she felt about it, but she would discuss it, if he wanted too.

Sabrina called for a two Pokemon match. Marisa was fine with that. She was ready for anything that came at her.

The Saffron City Gym Leader started the match with her Alakazam. The psychic Pokemon looked strong, but Marisa was ready. Without any hesitation, she sent out Umbreon. She knew that the psychic Pokemon would have a hard time with Umbreon.

The battle started with Umbreon charging in. The moonlight Pokemon was much faster than Alakazam in addition to having a type advantage. The match did not last long. Sabrina put up a good fight using moves like Energy Ball, but Umbreon dominated. Its Faint Attack was more than enough to put an end to Alakazam. Marisa had expected this though.

Sabrina's second Pokemon turned out to be the Ghost type Gengar. Knowing that Umbreon would struggle, she withdrew it from the battle and called out a Pokemon that she had just swapped in. Espeon was by far the least aggressive of her Eeveelutions. It had been the last of the group to evolve and it typically did not like to battle unless it had to. As a result, it took a direct Shadow Ball hit from Gengar before it decided to really fight back.

Though Espeon did not like to fight, when it did it was a strong competitor. It was able to easily dodge Gengar's attacks and quickly respond with Psybeam. Like Umbreon's fight with Alakazam, it did not take all that long for Espeon to finish off Gengar, which earned Marisa her Marsh Badge.

Following the battle, Lance offered to help her train Dratini. At that point, Marisa was sure that he was up to something, but even knowing that much was not going to deter her from letting Dratini train with a fellow dragon. Besides, Dratini needed the training.

The session with Dragonite proved effective for the most part. Dratini seemed to enjoy being in the company of another dragon and Dragonite appeared to enjoy working with its pre-evolution form. However, Dratini preferred to play rather than learn. It was happy to be outside its ball and with other Pokemon, but its behavior made it clear just how young Dratini was. So, while it seemed to help with Dratini's mood, it did not help with any skills.

After the semi-failed training session, the pair went to Lance's hotel room to have the talk they had been delaying. Marisa sighed aloud as she recalled the conversation. He wanted to make sure that she would be all right. Everything he had done that day had been a means to test and analyze her. She hated it, but knew that he did it because he cared. He knew better than anyone the kind of danger she was involved in and how she would most likely have to face it soon.

Marisa stopped walking as she saw the man standing under the light of a lamp post. She had not thought it was possible, but he looked even better with less light. The light made his blond hair shine and brought out his blue eyes even more than usual. It even played across the rest of his body at all the right angles. He almost looked like a god or at least some famous actor as he stood there. Naturally, Marisa hated the thoughts running through her head at that moment. She even hated how her heart had picked up speed as she looked at him. Slowly, she walked toward him.

In her mind, she recalled the earlier events that led up to the Pokemon battle that would take place the following day. Blake had not been himself, unless he was acting all the other times. For once, Marisa was sure that his actions toward Lance had not been acting. He had seemed angry, upset, but at what she was not really sure. She had been the one to run away from him while they were sort of talking and yet most of the anger had been directed at Lance. Marisa just could not understand what had happened. Would she find out the answers to her questions? Probably not, but she was hoping to understand her rival a little better even if she did not understand why it was even necessary.

"If you are looking for kids to abduct, I'm pretty sure they are all in bed," Marisa started as she stopped in front of him.

Blake stared at her. He was clearly confused. It was not surprising. She had never gone out of her way to talk to him. It was always him coming up to her. "I have a strict, no children policy," he managed to shoot back after a moment of silence.

"Good, that means I don't have to think any less of you than I already do," the female replied. "Now, care to tell me what went on this morning?"

"Do you really want to know?" The male trainer moved in close. Marisa's natural reaction was to step back, but she held it in and stood her ground. She could not place the look in his eyes, but it was almost animal.

Blake placed himself barely in front of her. He was close enough that if she leaned in at all she would probably touch him. Blake was as close as he could get without touching her. The male was not much taller than her, only a few inches, but at that moment, Marisa felt short.

Blake moved his face slowly closer to hers. Marisa knew she needed to knock him back. She needed to do something to him, but her body refused to move. Her eyes started to close in anticipation, which was another reminder of how weak she was feeling. She wanted him to kiss her or at least her body did. Her mind was still screaming to do something.

Moments passed with nothing and then, Marisa felt Blake's warmth move away. No kiss, no touch, no nothing. Her eyes opened. Blake was looking at her with a smirk on his face. "I'll leave you that to think about," he finally said before turning and walking away from her.

Marisa watched him go as her mind processed his words and actions. She could not be mad at him. It had been her that wanted something. He had chosen not to give it to her and at the same time, she could not believe that she wanted anything to do with the man. Marisa allowed herself to collapse to the ground. She had a feeling that it was going to be a long night.

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**Next Chapter: Lance vs. Blake**

**A/N: Yes, I was lazy with the Sabrina battle... when I did my research and started to write it, I found it really hard to do so. I never realized how weak Alakazam is against Dark types without TM moves. They only learn two non-psychic attacks and that's recovery and disable, so there wasn't even really a fight I could do with it and Umbreon cause Umbreon would cream it anyway. I chose to use Gengar (which if anyone remembers the original series that would come from the Haunter Ash left) because I needed to let Espeon make some kind of appearance. Anyway, the fight was not easy to write, so I apologize to anyone that thinks it's not as good as past ones, cause it really isn't. **

**Removing name question as I have also begun the scene and have picked a name now.**

**Questions:**

**The Safari Zone is planning to make an appearance (at this time). I am debating what Pokemon to put in it, so if anyone wants to make a few suggestions, please feel free.**

**Should I keep most of the Gym Leaders the same, or change some like I did with Forrest and Brock?**

**Please Review!**


	8. Blake vs Lance!

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to anyone that has tried to write after having too much to drink (aka me when I wrote the first 3****rd**** of this chapter). This was a hard chapter to get done because it has a long battle scene. I hope everyone enjoys it.**

**X: Thanks as always. You're right about the beginning of the chapter being unclear, but that was the best I could come up with at the time. Are you a Dragonite or a Dragonair fan? I put Dratini in cause Dragonite is my favorite Dragon Pokemon and cause I needed someone like Lance to make Blake jealous.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

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First to Victory: Chapter 8

The day came far too early for Marisa's liking. Just as she had expected, sleep had not come easy. She had spent the night thinking about the previous day's events, but mainly Blake and his unusual behavior. It was probably his goal when she saw him last. He wanted to keep her up, so that she would over sleep the battle and miss a chance to analyze his Pokemon, or at least, that was what she decided. Therefore, she made sure to be up as soon as she could, so that she would not miss the battle. However, she had not expected Blake to be up and gone even earlier than her. According to Ash, Blake had left around dawn. Knowing that the battle would start when both men arrived, Marisa rushed to the meeting location.

Upon arriving at the designated location, Marisa quickly noted that there was no battle taking place and that Lance was the only other person there. Marisa quickly walked over to the older man. "I figured I was late for the battle," Marisa admitted, sitting down on the fountain beside Lance. "I was told that Blake left really early this morning." This started off some minor conversing between the two as they both waited for the other combatant to arrive.

Blake finally showed up an hour after Marisa did. To Marisa, he seemed to be in a bad mood. There hadn't been a set time and it was still morning, so he was technically on time. Marisa was not sure why he was angry, but she did know that if he did not focus, he would most likely be creamed by Lance.

With Blake's arrival, the trio left the fountain and followed Lance to an open area with trees on one side and the ocean on the other. It was not an area sectioned off as a battlefield, but it was still in the city limits. Lance had apparently found out about the spot from a friend of his.

Marisa took a spot beside a tree and let Pidgeotto out, so that it could have some fresh air and a nice tree perch. The bird Pokemon sang as it flew around waiting for the battle to start. Lance was to Marisa's left and Blake was to the right. They were spread far enough apart to make an appropriate sized field.

Blake was the first to pull out a Pokeball. "How about we make this a 3 on 3 battle?"

"Fine with me," Lance replied pulling out a ball of his own.

Since Blake had issued the challenge, he started the battle. "Go, Xatu!" He tossed his ball out and revealed a bird Pokemon that sat on the ground. It was a green bird with a yellow beak and white wings with some color on them. At the back of its head was a read feather like feature. Marisa quickly pulled out her Pokedex.

_"Xatu, the Mystic Pokémon. Xatu is said to be able to foretell the future with a high degree of accuracy, but it is unknown whether its prophecies are correct."_

Lance threw his own ball and as expected, Dragonite came out. Blake seemed pleased with Lance's choice. Marisa was not sure what Blake was thinking, but if he could take out Lance's Dragonite, she was sure that he might have a chance to win the battle.

"Xatu, Future Sight." Blake ordered. The bird Pokemon's eyes glowed blue briefly. Dragonite just stood, staring at Xatu.

"Dragonite, get in close and use Thunder Punch," Lance ordered before Blake could make his next command.

Dragonite charged toward Xatu with electricity running through it's fist. Just as it was about to connect, Xatu disappeared. "Behind!" Lance called out.

Dragonite turned around and took another swing at Xatu, but it once again disappeared. Blake smirked.

"Obviously this is something you have taught Xatu to do after using Future Sight," Lance remarked. "Teleport to avoid attacks until Future Sight hits."

"So, you figured out that much, but knowing that much won't allow you to beat us easily," Blake replied.

"You're not the only one with tricks," Lance looked up and saw the sphere of energy coming from the sky. "Dragonite, hold your ground." The attack slammed into Dragonite sending smoke across the battlefield.

"Xatu, Night Shade!" Black beams shot through the smoke toward Dragonite's location, but went right through the spot Dragonite had been.

"Dragonite, Twister!" From behind Xatu, Dragonite flapped its wings whipping up a huge tornado that caught the bird Pokemon.

"Xatu, teleport!" Blake yelled.

"Thunderbolt!" Before Xatu could teleport out of the powerful tornado, Dragonite's thunderbolt engulfed the entire area. When the light cleared, it was obvious that Dragonite stood and Xatu was down.

"Good job, Xatu. Return." Xatu returned to its Pokeball and Blake selected a new one. "I hadn't expected that Substitution. Your Dragonite is as strong as they say."

"You can always give up now," Lance suggested.

"Not likely." Blake tossed out the ball containing his next Pokemon. "Scizor, you're up!" A red Pokemon with claws for hands and white wings came out. Marisa quickly opened up her Pokedex.

_"Scizor, the Pincer Pokémon. The evolved form of Scyther. Its incredible attack speed and its large scissor-like claws make it a formidable opponent."_

Marisa had watched Blake closely during the first part of the battle. He had obviously trained Xatu well. She doubted Xatu lost because of its own skill. Something was off when it came to Blake. He was still confident like he had been when she battled him, but he seemed to be bothered by something and not as focused. Now that he was down one Pokemon, she had to wonder if he had the strength to come back and at least take out Lance's Dragonite.

"Scizor, get in close with a Quick Attack!" The pincer Pokemon moved in a blur as it charged toward Dragonite.

Lance gave no orders as Scizor charged into Dragonite. He had not needed to. When Scizor hit Dragonite, the dragon Pokemon caught him in its arms.

"Sword Dance!" Scizor began to spin in Dragonite's arms at a high speed suggesting that Blake knew that Dragonite would catch the pincer Pokemon. As Dragonite begun to release the Pokemon, Blake made his next move. "Now, use Razor Wing!"

Scizor crosses his arms across its body and his claws started to glow. It them brought them forward and multiple white crescent shaped beams shot out. Dragonite was unable to dodge as such a close range and took the hit. However, the dragon Pokemon did not go down. The attack pushed Dragonite back, but it remained standing. It was clear that the attack had done some damage. Dragonite was not perfectly composed anymore.

"Slash it, Scizor!" Scizor ran toward Dragonite with its claws ready to cut it up.

"Twister!" With one whip of its wings, Dragonite created a huge tornado.

"Iron Defense!" Blake quickly yelled out. Scizor stopped the attack and a blue light surrounded it. The Twister hit, but Scizor held its ground and the attack did little damage.

"Hyper Beam!" Dragonite opened its mouth and sent an orange colored beam through the Twister and right at Scizor.

"Keep that defense up!" Blake yelled, but when the attack hit, Scizor was launched back. The attack was more powerful than Scizor's Iron Defense. Scizor hit the ground. It slowly rose to its feet.

"Use Slam!" Dragonite charged at Scizor.

"Agility!" Scizor sped away as it dodged the attack, but it was clear that Scizor was not going as fast as it could.

"Stop that Scizor with Thunder Wave." Lance had been ready for Scizor's agility. A yellow beam shot out of Dragonite's antenna. After a couple of misses the attack managed to hit the Pincer Pokemon.

"Now, finish it off with Slam." Dragonite flew at the paralyzed Pokemon and hit it into the ground. Scizor was down.

Blake frowned as he recalled Scizor, but it was clear that he was not ready to give up the fight. Quickly, he readied his final Pokemon.

"You still have a chance to give up," Lance told him. "I won't think less of you if you do."

"Not going to happen. I only need one Pokemon to beat you." Blake tossed the ball. "Go, Typhlosion!"

A Pokemon that stood on two feet with a cream colored from and a dark blue back appeared. Marisa flipped open her Pokedex.

_"Typhlosion, the Volcano Pokemon._ _If its rage peaks, it becomes so hot that anything that touches it will instantly go up in flames."_

Typhlosion looked ready for the fight. The flames on its back immediately flared up. It had a look of confidence like its trainer.

"Typhlosion, get things started with a Flamethrower!" Blake wasted no time in getting the battle going again.

"Dodge it and use Twister," Lance quickly ordered. Dragonite dodged and whipped up a tornado.

"Typhlosion, use Dig!" Typhlosion quickly burrowed underground before the twister hit. The volcano Pokemon reappeared behind Dragonite. "Smokescreen!" Thick black smoke filled the field.

"Dragonite, blow the smoke away!" Dragonite began to flap its wings quickly.

"Not so fast, Typhlosion, get in close and use Thunder Punch!"

"Safeguard!" Lance yelled, but Dragonite was too slow and took the electricity filled punch from Typhlosion. The attack was super effective as a result of Dragonite's secondary type of flying. Dragonite's breathing became heavy and showed clear signs of damage, but it still stood.

"Typhlosion, Flamethrower!" Blake saw a chance to finish this. Dragonite was quite weakened. No matter how high a level Dragonite was, it still fall with enough damage.

"Dragon Rage!" Dragonite's eyes glowed red for a moment before it shot a huge red ball from its mouth right into Typhlosion's Flamethrower. The attack showed just how strong Lance's Dragonite was even in a weakened state. The attack tore through the flames and slammed hard into Typhlosion knocking the fire Pokemon back.

"Typhlosion, don't let that stop you. Use Quick Attack!" For a large Pokemon, Typhlosion moved extremely fast. Even Dragonite seemed to have a hard time seeing it.

"Fly, Dragonite!" Lance ordered. Dragonite flew into the air barely dodging Typhlosion's attack. "Now, use Twister!" Dragonite launched another twister at Typhlosion.

"Dig, Typhlosion!" Once more, Typhlosion burrowed underground dodging the attack. "Knock it out of the air with Swift!" Typhlosion rose out of the ground and launched a shower of stars at the dragon Pokemon.

"Dodge!" Dragonite attempted to dodge, but it was clear that the dragon Pokemon was tired. It managed to dodge some, but it was hit by most and fell low to the ground.

"Get in close and use Thunder Punch!" Blake quickly ordered. Typhlosion ran toward Dragonite, but Lance was not about to let Typhlosion in so easily. Lance waited until Typhlosion was too close to dodge. "Hyper Beam!"

Typhlosion made contact with its Thunder Punch, but was launched away by a close ranged Hyper Beam. Dragonite could barely stand after the short electric surge from the Thunder Punch.

The Volcano Pokemon struggled to its feet. Typhlosion had taken much damage, but was not ready to give up. "Quickly, use Flamethrower!"

Typhlosion sent a powerful flame at Dragonite. "Dragon Rage!" Once again, Dragonite's attack cut through Typhlosion's flame, but Blake was not going to let the attack hit.

"Quick Attack!" Typhlosion dodged the attack and charged at Dragonite.

"Catch it!" Lance called out. "Typhlosion and Dragonite ended up in a hand lock pushing against eachother.

"Hyper Beam!"

"Flamethrower!"

Both Pokemon launched the attacks and, as expected, they collided and caused an explosion. Everyone waited for the smoke to clear. As it did, it became obvious that the battle was over. Dragonite and Typhlosion were out. Blake had succeeded in taking out Lance's Dragonite, but had lost the battle.

The two males returned their Pokemon to their respective balls. Blake stared at Typhlosion's ball.

"I'm impressed," Lance remarked walking up to Blake. "Even with your mind elsewhere, you still managed to defeat Dragonite."

Blake's mind was elsewhere. He had wanted to beat Lance, so that he could prove to Marisa that he was better. He should not have cared, but he did. He wanted Marisa to look at only him. It was a confusing feeling for him and now that he lost, he felt even more hopeless.

Lance smirked and leaned close to Blake's ear. "We aren't a couple, Marisa is like a daughter to me," he whispered into the younger man's ear. Blake looked at Lance with wide eyes. Lance was clearly amused. "Protect her."

Blake did not move, but watched Lance walk over to Marisa. He could not hear what he said to her, but Marisa returned Pidgeotto to its ball and left with Lance. Blake could not deny that he wished she had waited for him, but he knew he had much to think about, especially in regard to what Lance had just said.

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Marisa said nothing as she nibbled on a fry. After leaving the battlefield, Marisa and Lance had gone to the nearest restaurant for some lunch. They both ended up getting burgers and fries because it was pretty much the only things on the menu.

Lance watched Marisa as she ate. She suspected that he wanted to hear what she thought of the battle. He had allowed her to see just how strong Blake could be on a bad day. She knew from the start that Blake was not in the right mindset for a battle and even then, he still managed to take out Dragonite.

"Blake should have been the Silver Conference Champion," Lance told her. "He made it all the way into the top 4 without losing a single Pokemon."

"How did he lose?" Marisa asked. She did not really want to know, but she found that she could not restrain herself from asking. If Lance told her a weakness, it would be worth it.

"Better strategy. His opponent was able to read him and anticipate his moves. I heard that Cassandra grew up with him," Lance explained.

"Cassandra?" Marisa felt like she should know the name. She had not watched the Silver Conference, so she knew that was not how she knew it.

"Cassandra Tannac. She became the Silver Conference Champion and a year before, she won at the Indigo League."

"Oh, I remember! She was that really beautiful trainer with the Espeon that the announcers were drooling over," Marisa remarked remembering the black haired beauty.

Lance chuckled. "That would be her. She's being considered for an Elite Four position in the Kanto Region."

Marisa shuffled through all the information. Blake, most likely, was close to an Elite Four candidate, who had probably trained with him, which made him a very formidable opponent. She was starting to wish Lance had not said anything. Blake was probably going to be her toughest opponent… of course, she still needed to deal with possible Team Rocket encounters. Some training and planning was needed.

"Lance, can you help me work with Dratini again?" she asked taking a large bite from her burger. He had not filled her in on his schedule, so she did not know what kind of time he had.

"Finish eating and we can go train," he said eating a fry. Marisa was going to take full advantage of Lance's knowledge of dragon Pokemon while she could.

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**Next Chapter: Another badge and Marisa in danger!**

**A/N: Originally, this chapter was going to be much different with Blake getting creamed a lot worse, but it did not come out that way. Now, I will give a list of currently revealed Pokemon.**

**Blake's Pokemon: Typhlosion, Scizor, Xatu, Ampharos, and Skarmory**

**Marisa's Pokemon: Arcanine, Umbreon, Espeon, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Pidgeotto, and Dratini**

**No question this time.**

**Please Review!**


	9. Danger at the Expo!

**A/N: Finals wore me out, so I haven't had much time to work on the story. I'm thinking I'll wait until after Christmas to post chapter 10, but I haven't decided anything. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Thanks to everyone that's been reading the story. Not sure what the numbers are, but thank you.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

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First to Victory: Chapter 9

"Jolteon, finish it with Tackle!" Jolteon charged at the orange mouse Pokemon.

"Raichu, get outta the way!" Lt. Surge, the Vermillion City Gym Leader yelled, but Raichu was too dazed from the combination of Flash and Pin Missile to move.

Jolteon's Tackle hit hard, knocking Raichu into a wall, rendering it defeated. The match had only been one on one. Lt. Surge had made the fight that way to save his Pokemon. He used his own gym, which made it easy for trainers to find him, so he did one on one fights to give his Pokemon time to rest between battles. As a result, Jolteon's victory over Raichu gained Marisa the Thunder Badge, which put her badge count up to four.

The battle had been hard. Raichu was a strong Pokemon, but Jolteon was faster and that had given Marisa the advantage. Marisa also had been lucky not to have been caught by Raichu's Static ability. Paralysis would have ended the match for Jolteon if it had happened.

With a new badge in her case, Marisa headed for the Moonshine Café. The café was a small building located outside the main Expo area. Misty had invited her to have lunch with her there following the match with Lt. Surge. Though Marisa had never been there before, Misty had given her really good directions, so that it would be easy to find.

Each day, more and more people arrived at the Expo. Marisa found herself grateful for the increase. She felt safer in the large groups of people, especially since she no longer had Blake shadowing her. Marisa hated to admit it, but she felt safe when Blake was around. He might be a pervert, but she could not deny that his skill with Pokemon was great. However, she had not seen him since his battle with Lance and that had been three days ago. Ash told her that he was leaving the camp early and showing back up late, which explained why she had not seen him there.

Did she miss him? Not exactly, but she could not deny that she wanted to see him. He showed during his battle with Lance that he trained a variety of Pokemon and Marisa wanted to see more. If she was going to stand a chance against him, she needed to know what he had. There might also be a bit of loneliness there. She had spent very little time away from him since starting the journey. They do say that if you take care of a dog for a few days, you'll grow attached. Marisa figured that that was how she saw Blake, though in his case, he was a very perverted dog with some good tricks.

Marisa turned down an empty alley that served as a shortcut to the café. Since there was no one in sight, Marisa chose to run through the alley. She did not have any real reason to do so, but running seemed like a good idea at that time. As it would turn out, the alley was not empty. From the shadows, a man stepped in front of her. Marisa managed to dodge him, but tripped and hit the ground hard. She mumbled a few select words as she slowly rose to her feet.

"I don't remember you being that clumsy."

Marisa froze as a rough, masculine voice echoed through her head. She knew it. She knew it far too well. It was a voice that had once whispered seductive phrases in her ear.

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"Any of these trainers look good to you?" Blake asked looking at his Typhlosion. Typhlosion shook its head causing Blake to sigh. "There must be a good trainer around here somewhere."

Blake suddenly caught sight of a familiar black ponytail moving quickly into an alley. It was the very female he had been avoiding for the past few days. Lance had forced him to realize just how he felt toward the female trainer. He had never acted that way with any other females. Normally, he would just walk away and find someone new, but he did not want to do that with Marisa. The truth was that he was embarrassed by his actions. He could not put his feelings into words exactly, but he knew he felt something different than ever before. It was a strange sensation and it made him stay away from her.

Blake looked over at his treasured partner. Typhlosion had been by his side since he started as a trainer. Professor Elm had allowed him to choose one of the three Johto Region starters just like any beginning trainer. For Blake, Cyndaquil had been the obvious choice.

Having studied the starter Pokemon alongside Professor Elm, he felt that Cyndaquil's powerful flame attacks suited how he wanted to train Pokemon. Cyndaquil had also been the first Pokemon he caught. He had not known who was to receive the newest set of starters, but did not hesitate to do as the Professor asked. It had been his first time out in the field to catch instead of study. He had found it unusual that the Professor asked him to catch the starters when there were people that specifically breed Pokemon to be given to starting trainers, but he accepted the task. Since he did not have a Pokemon of his own, he borrowed the Professor's Corsola. Obviously, Corsola had a type advantage against a fire Pokemon like Cyndaquil and the catch should have been easy. However, Cyndaquil refused to give up and made Blake fight for victory. Out of all the starters Blake caught then, Cyndaquil had been the only one to show such strength. As a result, the choice of starter was clear for Blake.

Typhlosion grabbed Blake's arm and pulled on it. "What is it?" Blake looked at his Pokemon. Typhlosion moved its head in the direction of the alley Marisa had gone in. "Is there something going on?" Typhlosion nodded and moved toward the alley. Blake did not really want to go into the alley, but he followed Typhlosion anyway.

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Marisa slowly raised her head to look at the man. She found herself staring into his deep brown eyes and remembered a time when those eyes were all she needed. "B… Benett? Marisa hardly heard herself as she whispered the man's name.

The male smirked as he moved closer. "I'm glad you remember me. Makes things easier." Marisa unconsciously stepped back only to find a wall. She was not sure where the wall had come from, or how she had been backed into it, but it forced her to remember her situation. She was not safe.

Quickly, Marisa scanned the man before her. Other than his jacket, he dressed all in black. Black shirt, black pants, and black boots. His jacket was a dark grey and she was sure his Pokeballs were attached to the liner. In terms of body form, he was just as fit as she remembered. He was built enough to hide his fat with muscle, but not overly so. His face had specks of facial hair like what would appear if someone did not shave daily. With his light brown hair slicked back, he looked more dangerous than Marisa recalled.

"Why are you here?" Marisa asked almost timidly. She was not feeling her usual, confident self in his presence. Not really surprising when one considered that she was backed into a wall. It was hard to be confident with nowhere to run if things went bad.

"I came… with Executive Maxwell," Benett replied slowly. "We knew you would be here."

Marisa froze up once more. The two men she wanted to avoid the most were at the Expo and one of them was standing right in front of her.

Benett moved closer and leaned in. "Marisa, you could end this foolishness right now. Give your skills back to Team Rocket and become my wife. Your punishment will be much less if you do what was originally planned."

Marisa locked eyes with him. The very thought of doing as he suggested irritated her. "I would rather die than be with a man like you or return to that place."

Benett moved in so that he was only about an inch away. "You used to enjoy the _attention_ I gave you. Perhaps I should help you remember." Before Marisa could stop him, he grabbed her arms roughly and forced them above her head keeping her from grabbing any of her Pokeballs. Marisa tried to pull her arms away, but he held them far too tight for her to do so.

"You think that if you force me, I'll submit to you?" Marisa frowned as she watched him. "Aren't your orders to capture me? This doesn't look like the kind of capturing you would have been ordered to do, or have rules changed?" The female trainer followed up her remark by stomping on Benett's foot. Benett reacted, but not enough to loosen his grip on her arms. Physically, he was much stronger than she was and he had taken away her only defense by pulling her hands away from her Pokeballs.

"Heh heh, even if you manage to get away, sooner or later, you'll run into Executive Maxwell," Benett said leaning close to her ear. "He's acting as a Gym Leader here… you'll have to face him for one of your badges."

Marisa swallowed hard. There was a rumor that Team Rocket owned a gym or at least influenced the workings of one. If there was an Executive taking the Gym Leader's place, then that would mean that the rumors were actually true. Battling a substitute Gym Leader would be her safest option, but she knew she could not beat Executive Maxwell easily and she would put her Pokemon at risk if she tried. Things were starting to look very messy.

Suddenly, Marisa felt something cold around her wrists. The metal feeling was not something she frequently encountered, but she did not have to look either to know what had just happened. Benett had put handcuffs on her while she was distracted. The female trainer frowned and kicked Benett in the shin. The male growled, but refused to release her. "I guess that means you aren't coming peacefully. Perhaps you'll be more loyal once I remind you of a few things."

Marisa hated the situation. She could not believe that she was unable get away from him. Here he was about to remind her that she did once have feelings for him and she could do nothing to stop him. He had her cornered. His face kept coming closer to her. She could feel his breath on her face. Marisa moved her head away, but he swiftly removed one hand from the metal clasping her hands together and forced her head straight. The female trainer closed her eyes tightly. To her surprise, Blake's face flashed through her mind.

"That is not how you treat a lady." The voice came loud and clear, just like the feeling of Benett suddenly being torn from her. A much more comforting presence took his place. Slowly, Marisa opened her eyes and started at the man she had just thought about. A blush showed clearly on her face.

"You are not involved with this. I suggest you leave," Benett said harshly as he got up off the ground. Marisa did not know how he ended up there, but she suspected that Blake's growling Typhlosion had something to do with it.

Blake smiled and pulled Marisa into his arms. "That is where you are wrong. This woman was coming to meet me, so it is my business."

Marisa knew he was lying and he knew he was lying, but Benett would have no idea what the truth was. She had been heading to see Misty, not Blake, but at that moment, she did not really care. He was protecting her, holding her, and it was causing her heartbeat to rapidly increase.

"Meet you?" Benett moved his eyes between Marisa and Blake. "Well, isn't that nice, but I won't let you take her." Benett threw out a pair of Pokeballs. "Nidorino! Muk! Teach this guy a lesson!" Both Pokemon were purple in color, but Nidorino had horns and claws, while Muk was a large pile of sludge.

Blake released Marisa and stood in front of her. "Two on one? This will be easy. Typhlosion, Flame Wheel!" Blake sounded very confident and even a bit bored as he issued the attack.

"Nidorino, Poison Sting! Muk, Sludge!" Poison needles and balls of sludge shot toward Typhlosion. The fire Pokemon's body was surrounded by flames as it ran toward the other Pokemon. The attacks from the others did nothing to Typhlosion as a result of the flaming shield the attack created. Typhlosion charged at the other two and slammed into them doing massive damage and knocking both Pokemon into their trainer.

Benett growled and threw off the Pokemon. "Nidorino! Muk! Return!" Benett was clearly angry at the loss. "Fine, you win this time, but we are not through!" Benett got off the ground for the second time and stomped away.

"Challenge me whenever you want!" Blake called as he waved Benett good bye. Marisa stared at Blake's back and wondered if she was dreaming. It really had felt like a dream. She had let Benett get the best of her, found out that Executive Maxwell was nearby, and was even saved by Blake. To make things even more complicated, she had been extremely happy that Blake had shown up. At that moment, she wanted to toss everything aside and climb into Blake's arms. Of course, that was not something she was willing to openly admit and she figured it was probably from the shock of all that had happened and not some feelings for the male before her.

"Was I wrong to assume you needed rescuing?" Blake asked in a serious tone. He refused to even look at the female he had helped. Marisa unconsciously grabbed the back of Blake's shirt softly. More than anything, she wanted to make sure he was really there and that she had not suffered some kind of head injury and was not hallucinating.

Blake's heart began to pound wildly in his chest as he felt Marisa touch him. This was the first time she had done anything other than hit him. The action gave him some hope that maybe he had a chance with her, yet a similar thought to Marisa's passed through his head. What if all of this was just an effect of the situation and not real? The very thought disheartened Blake, but since he was with her, he did not want to waste an opportunity to make his image better. Besides, he had already broken his resolve to stay away from her, so he might as well make the most of things.

"Thank you," Marisa whispered. Her grip on his back remained.

"Thank Typhlosion," Blake replied almost sadly. He wished he could take all the credit, but he would not have showed up if Typhlosion had not decided to walk away from him. "He's the one that came after you."

Marisa released Blake and looked over at the fire Pokemon. Typhlosion was staring blankly at her and Blake. "Thank you, Typhlosion," she told him with a smile. The Volcano Pokemon walked over and stared at the handcuffs still around Marisa's wrists.

Blake looked over at his Pokemon and then followed its eyes. He could honestly say that he was surprised to see the handcuffs. He had not noticed them before. Suddenly, he wished that he had not let the man go. Blake could not imagine Marisa voluntarily getting handcuffed, so that left one option in his mind.

"Typhlosion, carefully Slash through those handcuffs," Blake ordered. Typhlosion wasted no time in following the order and Marisa was freed.

The female rubbed her wrists. They were bruised, but they looked more like those from a hand then from the handcuffs. "Are you going to ask?"

Blake turned to her. Marisa kept her head down. "That man was with Team Rocket, correct?" he asked placing a hand on Marisa's shoulder.

Marisa said nothing indicating that Blake was right. He had suspected as much, but just knowing that did not explain everything. The male trainer used his other hand to raise her head, so that he could look at her. He thought she would be crying, but Marisa was stronger than he thought. He saw disappointment in her eyes. She was upset with herself, yet that disappointment seemed to go away as he looked at her. He could not identify the new emotion, but since it was not fear, he was not upset by it.

"You don't have to say anything." Blake took hold of her hand and gently rubbed her bruise with his thumb. "Come with me."

Marisa did not hesitate to go with Blake. She had not expected him to be so gentle with her. His actions were making her rethink her opinion of him.

With a sudden ring of a Pokegear, the mood was broken. This ring also forced Marisa to remember that she was supposed to meet Misty. The female trainer fumbled to get her Pokegear out. Blake watched in amusement. He was not used to seeing her so lacking in composer. Without warning, he grabbed the Pokegear from her. Glancing at the name, he answered in her place.

"Hey, Misty, Marisa is a bit preoccupied at the moment," Blake told her. Marisa glared at him, but it had very little power.

Neither trainer could tell what Misty thought, but she sounded amused. "Well, tell her we'll do lunch another day."

Misty was gone before Blake could respond. He handed the Pokegear back to Marisa. "You must be feeling better. You're starting to look more like your usual self."

Without waiting for a response, Blake wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. He half expected her to hit him, but instead she stared at him. In fact, he could almost swear that he saw desire in her eyes. His heart sped up at the thought that she might want him. "Have lunch with me," he whispered thinking about the phone call.

Marisa stared at Blake. He had cancelled her meeting with Misty, so she no longer had plans for lunch. He had also saved her, so she did own him and lunch seemed like a small price to pay. However, more than both of those, she did not want to be separated from him just yet. At this moment, she was comfortable with him. Her heart was beating fast and she was almost sure that her face was red, but she did not care. She had no idea if Benett was still nearby and for safety reasons, staying with Blake would be a good thing. At the same time, she knew that he deserved to know what he had walked in on.

Blake had never denied that he was interested in her. His reason for asking her to lunch was probably selfish, but for this one time, she was willing to deal with it. "You're paying," she replied after moments of silence.

Blake smiled at her before releasing her. "Come on, let's get going." He held out his hand to her. Hesitantly, Marisa accepted it and the pair went to find a place to eat.

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**Next Chapter: Marisa vs. Blake**

**A/N: Please Review.**


	10. Comforting Battle?

**A/N: Well, this took longer than I expected… I knew the holidays would keep me busy, but I still did not expect it to take this long. I do blame Dragon Quest 9 for part of the delay… I just could not keep that game down. I did spend some of my break doing research type stuff for the story (or at least that is what I'm telling my brain). I am trying to watch all the episodes of Pokemon. I have made it to the Diamond and Pearl series now. I find myself wondering why contests can't be the same in the game as they are in the anime. I might have done them more if that was the case. Anyway, I'm sorry for the delay. I will get chapter 11 done as soon as I can. I plan to push myself to finish the story because I have an idea for a sequel/standalone using Marisa and a new region. No guarantee that I'll write it, but the sooner I get through this, the more likely I will. So, on to the chapter!**

**Oh and thank you to everyone who keeps reading after my delay.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

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First to Victory: Chapter 10

Lunch had been an uneventful time. They had gone to a small pizza place, by the port. It had a great view of the ships going in and out. Marisa remained silent while they ate. Blake did not even try to start a conversation. He let her have her time to think. Marisa watched the ships closely while she ate just to keep her from looking at her companion. She was still unsure what to say to Blake. Did she trust him enough to tell him the whole truth?

Blake studied Marisa throughout the meal and thought about what she had told him back at Mt. Moon. Team Rocket was chasing her because she stole Pokemon from them, but why would they waste their time on one person for so long? It seemed to him that they could just replace the Pokemon she had taken and left her alone. There was more to the story than she had told him. He had suspected that before, but now he was sure. The man was planning to take her with him and not just take her Pokemon.

Typhlosion stayed at his trainer's side for the entire length of lunch. Blake had not bothered to return his partner to its Pokeball. The male trainer did not even want to think about what would have happened if he had decided not to let the fire Pokemon out for some fresh air.

When the meal ended, Blake suggested that they head over to the port for a bit. He was really hoping that Marisa would tell him something about what had happened. He was not going to push it, but if she told him anything, he saw that as a positive sign. To his delight, the female trainer agreed.

A gentle breeze moved across the water as the pair walked. There were not many trainers around the area probably due to the demonstration taking place. Blake could not remember who was demonstrating, but did know one was taking place. Thinking about battles gave him an idea. He needed to distract her from her thoughts.

"Let's have a battle," he suddenly asked.

Marisa looked at him and blinked a few times. "Huh?"

"I challenge you to a battle. The least you can do is accept after I helped you and all," Blake told her. "Nothing too big, just a two Pokemon battle."

Marisa stared at him as she thought about it. He acted like it was no big deal and yet, she suspected that he had a motive behind his proposal. Perhaps he knew she was not in much of a battle mindset. Whatever the reason, she rarely backed out from a battle and she did sort of owe him for earlier. "Fine, I'll agree to that, but what is the catch?"

Blake laughed. "What do you mean?"

"You have this look in your eye that suggests that you want something more than a battle from this," Marisa commented.

Blake pulled off his pack and knelt down. "Well, I was thinking we could make the battle interesting." He dug through his bag before pulling out a green flag and a red flag. The flags were typically used by a judge during a battle, but Marisa did not see anyone that would judge.

"Define interesting. Coming from you that could mean a lot."

The male trainer stood up and smiled at her. "Come on, I'm not that bad. I was thinking the winner could ask one thing of the loser. Nothing too big."

Marisa hated how his smile affected her and on top of that, his confidence was astonishing. He suggested that with full belief that she could not beat him. Granted, in her current condition, she was not all that sure she could, but she was not going to let him know that. "Fine, I'll accept your terms."

"Excellent," Blake replied still smiling. He turned to the fire Pokemon at his side and held out the flags. "I want you to sit out of this one, so please act as the judge."

The fire Pokemon took the flags. Marisa was confused. "A Pokemon for a judge?"

"Typhlosion doesn't like to sit out of battles once he's out of his ball, so I taught him how to act as a judge for these times," Blake explained as he backed up to make room for the field.

Marisa backed up as well. She did not know what to say in response to a Pokemon being a judge. It was definitely not something she had ever heard of before. "Let's just get started," she said unable to say anything else.

Typhlosion held up both flags and talked. Of course, it was not human talk. It was talking like it would normally. Marisa figured that it was probably stating the usual rules. It soon lowered the flags once more indicating the start of the battle.

"All right, time to get things started," Blake said pulling out a Pokeball. "Get out there, Tyrogue!"

A human shape Pokemon came out of the ball. It's head, torso, arms and legs were a light purple color with brown feet and bottom. Around it's wrists and waist, it had bandages wrapped.

Marisa pulled out her Pokedex. She was familiar with Tyrogue, but in name only. This was the first time she had seen one.

_"Tyrogue, the Scuffle Pokémon. It is always bursting with energy. To make itself stronger, it keeps on fighting even if it loses. It can evolve into Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, or Hitmontop."_

"A fighting type… well then I know who I'm using." Marisa put her Pokedex away and pulled out a Pokeball. "You're up, Pidgeotto!" Marisa's bird Pokemon cheerfully exits its ball ready for battle.

Blake did not look the least bit surprised by her choice. Pidgeotto was the logical choice. Flying carried the type advantage against fighting types and Blake already knew about Pidgeotto, which did lead to the question of why he would select Tyrogue full well knowing Marisa carried a flying type with her. However, Marisa also knew that it was not unusual for trainers to test their Pokemon against those they have a disadvantage with, so she tried not to think too hard about Blake's decision.

"Ladies first," Blake said with a slight bow.

The action made Marisa suspicious, but she would take her chances. "Pidgeotto, start things off with a Wing Attack!"

Pidgeotto dived down with wings glowing. "Tyrogue, stand your ground." Pidgeotto moved closer while Tyrogue just remained in one place. "Now, Fake Out!" Tyrogue clapped its hands sending out a shockwave that knocked Pidgeotto back and temporarily stunned it.

"Pidgeotto!" Marisa called out. The flying Pokemon struggled to move.

"Tackle!" Blake ordered. Tyrogue ran at Pidgeotto and slammed into the bird hard. The flying Pokemon fell into the ground.

Marisa was shocked as Typhlosion lifted the flag that signaled Pidgeotto's defeat. Tyrogue had taken out her Pokemon with one hit.

"Pidgeotto, return." Marisa looked at Pidgeotto's ball briefly before returning it to her belt. She needed to make a good choice for her second Pokemon if she had any hope of winning. Marisa thought about the Pokemon she had with her. Jolteon still needed time to recover after the battle with Surge earlier that day. Dratini would not be able to do that much in terms of close combat, but could fight from the water, which would give it an advantage against Tyrogue. The only disadvantage would come from Blake's second Pokemon. It would be good experience for Dratini, but she was not sure the dragon Pokemon was ready. With that in mind, Marisa moved her hand over to the other three. Her choices were between Umbreon, Espeon, and Flareon.

The decision was made for her as one of the balls opened. Umbreon had leaped from its ball and was ready to battle. It was an unusual act for the Moonlight Pokemon, but one Marisa understood without words. Umbreon was upset because of what had happened earlier. It wanted a chance to redeem itself or something like that. The look in Umbreon's eyes told little except that it wanted to fight.

"All right, I choose Umbreon," Marisa said.

"Fine, Tyrogue, Tackle," Blake ordered. Tyrogue ran at Umbreon.

"Use Flash," Marisa quickly ordered. Umbreon sent out a blinding light stopping Tyrogue in its tracks. "Follow up with Quick Attack!"

"Jump out of the way," Blake yelled. Tyrogue started to jump, but Umbreon was not going to let it get away. Umbreon jumped as well and slammed Tyrogue into the ground before landing gracefully. Tyrogue hit the ground hard, but managed to get up.

"Are you all right?" Blake quickly asked his Pokemon. Tyrogue gave a sound in response. It was clearly hurt, but was able to keep going. "Good, use Headbutt!"

Tyrogue charged forward once more. "Dodge and use Iron Tail!" Umbreon jumped out of the way with tail glowing, but as it turned to hit Tyrogue, the light faded and the attack failed.

"Tackle!" Blake yelled not missing the opening. Tyrogue slammed into Umbreon knocking it away, but the dark Pokemon pulled a midair recovery and avoided the crash landing.

"Don't let them recover, Headbutt!" Tyrogue ran at Umbreon once again.

"Umbreon, jump and use Shadow Ball!" Umbreon did as it was told. It jumped and made a black ball, which it then launched at the fighting Pokemon.

"Dodge it!" Blake's order was too slow and Tyrogue took the full force of the attack.

Typhlosion raised a flag and spoke. Tyrogue was unable to battle. Now both were down to one Pokemon each. It was Blake's move.

The male trainer recalled Tyrogue and briefly thanked it for the hard work. He then pulled out a new ball and tossed it. "You're up, Larvitar!"

A small, green colored Pokemon with a red belly came out. It had a horn on its head and a bushy tail, but its skin looked hard as rock. Marisa flipped open her Pokedex.

_"Larvitar, the Rock Skin Pokemon. Larvitar generally hatch deep within the earth and take a long time before coming to the surface."_

Marisa put her Pokedex away and debated how to approach. Physical attacks were not going to be very effective against Larvitar's body.

"Larvitar, use Dig!" Blake ordered. He was not going to give Marisa any time to come up with a strategy.

Larvitar burrowed underground. Umbreon watched cautiously for the Pokemon. "Stay calm," Marisa told her Pokemon.

"Come up and use Bite!" Larvitar flew out of the ground and clamped down hard on Umbreon's tail before the other Pokemon could move. Umbreon cried out in pain as it ran around trying to get the other Pokemon off.

"Umbreon, use Iron Tail to get rid of Larvitar!" The Moonlight Pokemon's tail lit up. Umbreon swung Larvitar into the ground with a successful Iron Tail attack. It also managed to pry the other Pokemon off.

"Larvitar, Dig!" The Rock Skin Pokemon burrowed underground once more.

"Not so fast, Umbreon, Shadow Ball into the hole!"

Blake said nothing as Umbreon charged up the attack and did not even react as the Shadow Ball entered the hold. Smoke came out of the hole, but no sign of Larvitar.

The male trainer smirked. "Now, dig out and use Sandstorm!"

Marisa could not even see Larvitar as it came out. It had already started the sandstorm. Umbreon held strong as the sand pelted against it.

"Tackle, Larvitar!" Blake called out.

"Dodge!" Umbreon jumped to the right, but chose wrong and was slammed hard by Larvitar. However, the dark Pokemon was able to avoid some damage by staying on its feet. The Sandstorm continued to weaken Umbreon. Marisa knew she had to do something fast.

"Time to end this, Larvitar, Dark Pulse!" A dark ball gathered in front of Larvitar before it was released. The attack sent out dark waves that cut through the sandstorm.

"Umbreon, Shadow Ball!" Umbreon quickly gathered the energy and sent a Shadow Ball at the Dark Pulse attack. "Now, Quick Attack!"

Blake was thrown off guard by the maneuver. An explosion shook the battlefield and sent up a cloud of smoke. Both trainers waited to find out how their Pokemon were doing. Even Typhlosion watched carefully.

An unconscious Umbreon appeared first. Typhlosion raised a flag ready to call an end to the battle when the unconscious form of Larvitar showed. The attacks had managed to knock them both out.

Blake laughed as he returned Larvitar to its Pokeball. "Well, I wasn't expecting that," he remarked. "You used the explosion to give Umbreon more momentum as it hit Larvitar. A risky move."

Marisa recalled Umbreon. "Well, at the very least it kept you from winning."

Blake took the flags back from Typhlosion before moving over to Marisa. "Feel better?"

Marisa stared at him for a moment. She was not sure what he meant right away, then it hit her. By adding in the terms of doing whatever the winner asked to the battle, he had made her get serious. So serious, in fact, that she had forgotten about the events earlier that day. Even now, thinking about it did not upset her like it had before. Granted, that did not mean that it would not bother her later, but the battle made her realize that she could trust her Pokemon to help her out. Whether she would remember that next time she ran into trouble like before was up in the air.

"Thank you," she managed to say before looking out across the water.

Blake watched her and wanted to know what she was thinking. Her mood was no longer gloomy and depressing. She seemed to be at peace for the moment.

"I can think of better ways to thank me," he said slipping an arm around her waist. Marisa looked at him with some surprise, but did not immediately move away.

The female trainer was not sure what she wanted. She was starting to see Blake in a new light. Not exactly a really good light, but she was seeing him as more than just a pervert. He was becoming a pervert with some trace of being a gentleman. Right now though, the pervert was rearing its head once more. However, she did sort of owe him and he was not exactly making her want to punch him… at least not yet.

Marisa remembered the events from earlier. After he had saved her, she had been more than willing to accept his embrace. She had been in shock then, so it was understandable. However, now she was thinking clearly, or at least more clearly then she had been before. Right now, she knew what he wanted and she still did not want to back away.

"Fine, I'll give in," she told him. "I do owe you a little. Might as well get it over with. I don't like holding onto a debt."

Blake was surprised that she agreed. He had only been half serious. Yes, he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to do more than kiss her, but he had not expected any agreement from her. The fact that she was even accepting it at all gave him much hope.

"Are you serious?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, but only one. Do anything more than that and I'll slug you," she threatened.

The threat made Blake smile. He was glad to see that the fire had not left her. "Then I better make the most of it." He slid one hand up to Marisa's chin and gently raised her head.

Marisa swallowed as she stared into Blake's eyes. She had no really idea why she was letting him near, but she was. At the same time, she was not sure she could move even if she wanted to. She was caught.

For once, Marisa believed the line about time standing still. As cliché as it was, it fit. It seemed to her that she waited an eternity for Blake to finish his approach. He moved slowly like a predator going after prey, but she doubted he would make a sudden move like a predator would. His eyes searched hers. He was looking for an answer, but Marisa did not know the question. However, moments later, his lips brushed against hers.

For an instant, Marisa regretted letting him touch her. The light brush of his lips against hers was much different from the previous kiss he had given her. This one was gentle and warm, which was an odd contrast to the first one. The first one had been good, a sign that Blake was experienced. It had not brought out feelings like this one was now doing. That was why Marisa regretting… only briefly. The soft feeling of Blake's hand on her back and chin kept her from acting on that regret and slowly, she found herself falling into the kiss.

It was not unusual to hear about kisses that made women melt or swoon into a man's arms. Marisa would even admit to reading some of the stories those appeared in, but never in her life had she imagined that she would be on the end of something out of a book. The feelings Blake was making her feel were more than a book could ever bring out. She was warm, weak, lightheaded and so much more. Her body began reacting all on its own as she found her hands gripping Blake's shirt and her eyes slowly closing. She even allowed the male to deepen the kiss while she kissed him back.

Thoughts began to become jumbled and squishy… wait, squishy? Marisa's eyes snapped open as squishy registered. In one clean motion, Marisa broke the kiss and slammed her fist into Blake's stomach. The other trainer heeled over in pain.

Marisa glared harshly at him. "I told you not to do anymore than that," she reminded him before turning away.

Blake coughed a bit unable to come up with anything to say in return. The female waited a few moments before starting to walk away. Blake could do nothing but watch. He knew that he had messed up and he needed to apologize, but the words would not come.

A strange sound reached Blake's ear causing him to shift his gaze to his partner. Typhlosion had a huge grin on its face and Blake was almost certain that the fire Pokemon was laughing. If Typhlosion was laughing, then he really messed up bad.

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**Next Chapter: Ash and Marisa meet with Professor Oak and the Pokemon Expo comes to a close.**

**A/N: The latter part of this chapter was a result of Hana Yori Dango and too many romance manga. The battle scene was written while in a car going from Arizona back to Colorado. Writing while in a car is not fun. Had to use my cell phone for a light.**

**Anyway, Please Review!**


	11. Farewell! The End of the Pokemon Expo!

**A/N: So… guess I lied. I wanted to get this chapter out a lot sooner, but my motivation was lacking… probably partly due to classes. I'll do my best to get the next chapter out soon. I want to get back on some kind of schedule, but we'll see what happens. I think I had 5 hits on chapter 10, so thank you to those people that read it. I hope it was worth waiting for and I hope this chapter is worth waiting for, so I won't keep you any longer. On with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

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First to Victory: Chapter 11

The final day of the Pokemon Expo was beginning. People would begin to start leaving, but there were demonstrations and lectures still taking place as well as a closing ceremony complete with a fireworks display. It was a sunny day with no clouds in sight. For Marisa, this was a day of training and preparing for a return to the road of traveling. She still needed four badges before she could enter the Pokemon League. Celadon City would be her first stop, but before she could leave, she had to attend the closing ceremony. It had been a request from Lance, so she saw no reason to refuse.

The next gyms would prove the hardest. There was no relaying on anyone in a gym battle. She would have to trust her Pokemon and her abilities. For that, she knew she needed to get stronger. Benett spoke of a gym under the control of Team Rocket. No matter how subdue their activities may have become, she doubted they would stop using the gym. If they had, they would not have sent a substitute gym leader to the Expo. That being said, walking in with a team of Pokemon she had stolen from them was not the brightest of moves. Dratini and Pidgeotto would be fine to use and possibly Arcanine since it had not really been stolen, but Umbreon and her other Eeveelutions would be hard to use. Most of them were like Umbreon and did not really maintain calm when faced with a member of Team Rocket. The memories were too strong. One of the Eeveelutions might not raise much suspicion in terms of recognition, but more than one probably would, so she really only had four trained Pokemon to use in a gym battle, if she could get one of them to calm down. Granted, most gym battles did not call for that many, but there was no telling what could happen at a Team Rocket gym.

However, her reserve Pokemon were pretty limited. She had done most of her catching in Viridian Forest. It had become harder to catch while traveling with others. The Bug Pokemon she had caught would evolve quickly, but were not exactly the strongest. Marisa sighed aloud. The fact was quite simple. Since she had begun with a full party, she had not even thought about what Pokemon to use if things got difficult like now. She had been catching for fun and not strategy. Marisa mentally ridiculed herself for her foolishness.

Things needed to change. She could not keep relying on people to help her. That thought started a familiar chain. There was one person that kept showing up and that was Blake. The male trainer seemed to have a habit of knowing when she was in trouble, which in her book was a bad thing. He was getting too close and worse yet, she was letting him.

The male trainer had, thankfully, been missing since the incident and the port. He was around, but did not make his presence known to Marisa. She did not know how to face him after what had happened. The kiss had been amazing, though that did not mean much considering Benett was the only other male she had ever kissed and he sucked at it compared to Blake. However, Blake's wandering hands left something to be desired. The term squishy seemed to enter her mind from him. Obviously, she did not feel squishy, so she really had no idea where it had come from, but she was still mad at him for groping her. The confusion caused by the mixed feelings made her not want to see him.

Why her mind insisted on focusing on Blake, she did not understand. What she did know was that he made her realize her weakness. She would have been taken away if not for him. In fact, twice he had come to her rescue. A sure sign, if any, of her need to get stronger. He was just as much an opponent as Team Rocket when it came down to it. Not only did her team need to change in order to beat Team Rocket, but she highly doubted she could beat Blake at the Pokemon League without a stronger team. Arcanine was one of her strongest Pokemon and it had been unable to beat Blake's Skarmory and Umbreon had barely managed to defeat two unevolved Pokemon. Things were not looking that promising, but he was not her first opponent. Her first opponent would have to be Team Rocket's gym leader and she had a very good idea which gym they ran.

When talking with trainers around Viridian City, there was always one gym that the Gym Leader always seemed to change at. Not to mention the gym seemed to always be closed at random times. It was Viridian's own gym and based on the information she gained from Benett, it seemed very likely that that gym was Team Rocket's. The other three gyms she needed to visit all had Gym Leaders that had been around for a while for the most part. Fuchsia City had had a Gym Leader change recently, but Marisa had heard that it was a change from father to daughter. From what she could tell, none of those three gyms would have a reason to send a substitute to the Expo. She would still have to be careful, but her instincts told her that she was right. Now was not the time to think about such things though. She needed to get in some training.

"Umbreon, come on out," she said tossing the moonlight Pokemon's ball. Umbreon quickly checked for trouble. Marisa knelt down. "How about we work on your Iron Tail today?" Umbreon gave a favorable response. It clearly wanted to get stronger and mastering Iron Tail was a start.

"Morning, Marisa." Both Marisa and Umbreon looked up slightly startled. Ash was standing nearby with Pikachu sitting on his shoulder.

"Hey, Ash," Marisa said standing up. She had not talked much to the older trainer since coming to the Expo. He spent a lot of time with Misty, while she had chosen to spend most of her time training Dratini with Lance or battling. Words passed between them in short spurts. No real conversations.

Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and went over to Umbreon. The two Pokemon started conversing.

"Do you have plans for today?" Ash suddenly asked.

Marisa stood up while still looking at him. "I was going to work on Iron Tail with Umbreon and maybe work with some of my other Pokemon," she replied.

"I remember when Pikachu was learning Iron Tail. He had a hard time at first," the older trainer reflected.

"Umbreon isn't having an easy time. It seems to come and go."

"What me to help you train? Professor Oak is showing up this afternoon, so I'm free until then."

"Professor Oak is here?" Marisa was surprised by the news though it did explain why her last transfer had been done by Tracey.

"Yeah, he's doing a talk about starter Pokemon or something like that. He asked me to show up and help. I think he wants me to show off some Pokemon," he explained. "You should come."

Marisa thought about it. It was not a bad idea. She could not really train her Pokemon all day… well, she could, but it did not seem like a very smart move. They would get tired and the more tired they were, the higher risk of injury.

"Sounds like a good excuse to take a break. I'll go with you," Marisa agreed with a smile.

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Even though Blake suspected Ash and Misty of being a couple, he still found himself getting upset with the male trainer's closeness to Marisa. What he saw appeared to be training and probably was training, but that did not annoy him any less. He would not put it past her to find a new man… not that he was her man…

Blake sighed aloud. Not only was he confusing himself, he was getting jealous of Ash, someone he considered a friend. In addition to that, he was basically stalking Marisa simply because he did not think he could face her after his behavior. Yet, a part of him claimed he was doing the whole stalking thing for her. He wanted to protect her even though he still had very little knowledge of the situation. It was not like he did not have time. He only needed one badge and still had months until the start of the Pokemon League Tournament.

Honestly, he did not know what he was thinking. He had never dealt with a woman as complex as Marisa before. Granted, most women just fell into his arms with just a smile… but that was a whole other matter. He seduced for fun and enjoyment. He had never been serious about any of them. Marisa was something new and different to him. He wanted to hold her, protect her, and stay close to her. It was an unusual desire he developed almost immediately. Naturally, he suspected what it was… a four letter word that he dare not utter… at least not yet. There was still time. He did not doubt that Marisa would make it to the League tournament. What he was afraid of were the people chasing her, trying to take her away from him.

Telling her his feelings now would most likely result in rejection. However, that did not mean he could not help her and attempt to make her realize his feelings. He just needed to figure out how to control himself around her. If he could do that and get her to open up to him again like she had done back at Mt. Moon, he was sure something could come from it. For that to happen, he needed to find a way to keep watch on her without her getting upset with him. That was key, really. So far he only managed to upset her when they were together. He would admit to it being his entire fault, but could she really constantly fault him for showing affection? Probably and he would need to work on cracking her shell, but sooner or later, he had to get through to her… or at least he wanted to get through to her.

Blake sighed again. Marisa was safe with Ash. He knew he could trust him to keep her safe while he cleared his head. Blake left the bushes he was hiding in and headed back toward the main plaza. He needed to do some battling.

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Following a quick lunch, Ash and Marisa headed to the makeshift lecture hall that Professor Oak was using. It was basically a large tent with rows of folding chairs. Professor Oak was clearly pleased to see them. In fact, he was so pleased that he immediately put them to work, by shoving a Pokeball in their hands. He then told them to use the Pokemon to demonstrate a battle. The trainers did not argue and did as they were told. For Ash, the Pokemon was a Charmander and for Marisa it was a Bulbasaur. Professor Oak released the last ball revealing a Squirtle and explained that the three Pokemon where the region starters and told Ash and Marisa to start the mock battle.

During the course of the battle, Professor Oak explain such things as type advantages and disadvantages as well as the variety of attacks a Pokemon could have. Umbreon and Pikachu watched the battle from a corner of the tent and when the battle was over, Pikachu ran over to Ash and Professor Oak explained that not all trainers start with a region starter. This made Marisa remember her own starter. It had been her Arcanine back when it was only a Growlithe. She had not had a Pokeball then, but the Fire Pokemon stayed with her.

Since her dream had always been to be a trainer, she had always wanted to start off like a normal trainer with a starter Pokemon, but she did not regret starting with Arcanine and her other Pokemon. If she had a choice, she would remove the circumstance that caused her to get most of her Pokemon as long as she was still able to get them the correct way.

Eventually, Professor Oak announced that the attendants could come touch the starters. Marisa found herself with Bulbasaur once more and actually wished she knew more about the grass Pokemon then she did. She never really got to work with the starters much at the lab. Usually, she was sent out on errands and sometimes she was able to go into the fields and feed the Pokemon trainers left at the lab. The starters were basically taken care of by Professor Oak alone.

As time passed, people started to leave. The Professor kept talking to whoever wanted to listen, but for the most part, the tent was emptying out. Marisa moved over to Umbreon, who had decided to stay away from the kids. Bulbasaur followed. In fact, Marisa noticed that Bulbasaur had been following her since she released it from its Pokeball and apparently, she was not the only one to notice that.

"I think that Bulbasaur likes you, Marisa," Ash remarked when the last person left.

Marisa looked over at Umbreon and noticed that it was chatting lively with the young Bulbasuar. "Looks like it likes Umbreon too," she commented grabbing Bulbasaur's Pokeball. "But now it needs to return." The red stream shot out at Bulbasaur, but the grass Pokemon dodged it.

Professor Oak laughed. "Looks to me like Bulbasaur doesn't want to leave its newfound friend… Perhaps you should take it with you."

"Huh?" Marisa looked at Professor Oak. Had she really heard him right.

"Take Bulbasaur with you. It is obviously fond of you and you never did get a starter Pokemon when you left Pallet Town," he told her.

Marisa was not going to argue. She did need more Pokemon. Marisa knelt down and looked at Bulbasaur. "Do you want to come with me?" she asked it.

Bulbasaur seemed to smile before it happily knocked Marisa down with a tackle attack. Everyone laughed. "Guess that's a yes, but I already have a full party."

Professor Oak did not waste any time replying. "Leave one of your Pokemon with me. I'll be heading back to the lab, so it won't be out of reach for long."

Marisa nodded and thought about the Pokemon with her just as she had earlier. Bulbasaur would be a great addition to her team since she did not have a grass Pokemon. Since it got along well with Umbreon, she would keep them together for now. Really she needed to decide between the three other Eeveeultions she carried with her. If her goal was to build a strong team she would need to call Arcanine back, so Flareon could be switched then, which left Jolteon and Espeon to choose from. Though Marisa doubted having much trouble with the grass gym in Celadon City, she decided that Espeon would be more useful there than Jolteon if she needed the extra help. Marisa selected Jolteon's ball from her belt and handed it to Professor Oak.

For the remainder of the day and throughout closing ceremonies, Marisa kept both Bulbasaur and Umbreon out of their balls. Lance congratulated her on getting a new Pokemon and followed with giving her a Pokegear number. The Dragon Master had never really bothered with such things, but her comments regarding getting attacked had made him get one exclusively for her. She had refused to let him travel with her for the remainder of her journey, so this was the next best thing he could think of.

The closing ceremonies soon came to a close and with it, so did the day. In the morning, many would say good bye and return to the road. Marisa was more than ready to get back to traveling.

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**Next Chapter: Celadon City and the Espeon trainer!**

**A/N: Please review. Might give me a little more motivation than I have… well, a hit over the head could do the same thing…**


	12. Erika's Troubles! Marisa the Detective!

**A/N: Apparently getting back on a schedule is harder than I thought. No reviews so I figure that was the equivalent of a lot of hits to the head. Thank you to Marchosias and roonaty for adding the story to your watch list. Always good to know people are reading it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

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First to Victory: Chapter 12

Even if Marisa knew nothing about the Celadon City Gym, she would have been able to guess the specialty the moment she entered the city. The city was filled with flowers and the scent of perfume. As someone that was not very feminine, Marisa found it a bit overbearing. Bulbasaur, on the other hand, leaped from its ball and fell in love with the location.

"Come on, Bulbasaur, you can smell the flowers after we beat the Gym Leader," she told the grass Pokemon.

Bulbasaur happily followed Marisa as she walked through the city. Celadon City was known for being one of the largest cities in the Kanto region, but was more known for the large department store that hovered over everything. That alone made the city busy; however, people were quite nice. Marisa associated it with the flowers. When she asked for direction to the Gym, people were more than happy to point her toward it.

Like other Gyms, the Celadon City Gym stood out in appearance. The building was shaped like the head of a Gloom and wore the same coloring. Marisa smiled upon seeing the Gym. She was more than ready to earn her 5th badge. Even Bulbasaur was excited, though Marisa related that more to her promise of letting it smell the flowers than the Gym battle.

Marisa glanced around for any sign that the Gym was not open. There was nothing in sight. The female trainer carefully pulled open the glass door and entered. The interior looked like a giant garden. There were flowers and trees all over the place.

"Are you a new challenger?" a female voice called out.

Marisa looked to the right and saw a beautiful woman with short blue hair and dressed in a kimono that was the same shade as the grass. Flower designs decorated the trim. "I am. Is the Gym Leader in?"

The lady smiled and walked over. "I am Erika, Celadon City Gym Leader. Welcome to my gym."

Marisa smiled back. "I'm Marisa, from Pallet Town."

"You have come a long way. Unfortunately, I am not currently taking challenges."

Marisa studied the woman. Gym Leaders were required to accept any challenge except under rare circumstances. "Is there something happening in the city?"

Erika showed some surprise on her face. She obviously had not expected her to guess correctly. "There have been a great number of thefts lately in the city. Trainers have been having their Pokemon stolen as well as various goods."

"That explains why there were so many police officers out… if the thieves are caught, will you start taking Gym Battles again?"

Erika nodded. "Currently, I spend most of my time helping the police."

"Then I'll help." Marisa made up her mind quickly. Even with the knowledge that Team Rocket could be behind the thefts, did not hinder Marisa's decision. She decided to become stronger even if that meant walking right into the enemy camp. Besides, she wanted the gym badge Erika kept. If catching a thief was what it took, then she figured she could handle it. "Tell me what you know."

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"What is your plan now that you have all your badges?"

Blake looked at her briefly before returning his gaze to his full tea cup. "Don't know yet. I might head back to Johto and train."

The woman studied her companion. He was acting very distant and did not seem to enjoy her company as much as he should. After all, what man did not enjoy the company of a beautiful woman? Or rather, when did Blake not fully enjoy the company of a beautiful woman? His reputation was well known to those that knew him. Since the Silver Conference, his fame had grown, but he was still not to the point of getting chases through cities. That made private moments with the man all the more meaningful.

"You could stay here?" the female suggested looking at him. Blake's eyes did not even move in her direction. He was no longer staring at the tea cup, but now looking past her at something. His gaze was soft and she could almost swear she saw longing. For someone like him, it was not an expression that should appear in public.

The female turned in her chair to follow the male's gaze. She found herself frowning when she locked onto the plain female Blake stared at. The woman's black hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail like the kind that would come after riding on a Pokemon at a fast speed. She wore a black ball cap that did not help make her hair any more appealing. The jean jacket, black shirt and jeans added nothing to her potential sex appeal. In truth, the only thing stylish about the woman was the Bulbasaur at her side and she doubted Blake would stare at the Pokemon. However, something about the female was familiar as though she had seen her picture somewhere…

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Marisa walked through the city with Bulbasaur still at her side. Based on what Erika said, the thefts typically took place around dusk with long objects and shiny objects being the primary targets. Other than Pokeballs, there was not much in common between all the things taken. It was an odd pattern, if there was one to be found. Money, toy wands, garden spades… most of the items were small, easy to transport and easy to hide, which would make it hard to locate them.

The female trainer looked at the map Erika had given her. Even the locations of the stolen items were erratic. Most of the thefts took place on the west side of town. If the thieves were specifically after Pokemon, why had they not gone after the Pokemon Center? It was an unusual situation and Marisa could full well understand why no one had been caught yet. How could the Police keep up with no pattern?

"Hey, are you a Pokemon trainer?" A male voice spoke roughly.

Marisa slowly raised her eyes to look at the man. He was rough looking. Dirty, sweaty, no shirt on. Quickly, Marisa contemplated if he could be the thief. "I am."

The man pulled a Pokeball out. "I am the Undefeated Champion of Saffron City's Fighting Dojo, Mike. I have traveled far and wide seeking out opponents and I challenge you!"

A sigh escaped Marisa's lips. She did not want to deal with a muscle head like this guy, but it did allow an idea to pass through her head. Since Pokemon were going missing, there was a chance that the pattern had to do with battles. If the thief saw her battle, it might want her Pokemon and then she would have a chance to catch him or her.

"Fine, I'll take your challenge."

"Machamp, I choose you." The man wasted no time in letting his fighting Pokemon out of the ball. Marisa watched as the four armed Pokemon came out.

"Bulbasaur, step back," Marisa told the grass Pokemon as she pulled out another ball. "Pidgeotto, you're up!" The bird Pokemon came out in its usual cheerful manner.

"Ha! Don't think that that little bird can take out my Machamp." Both man and Pokemon flexed their muscles while posing in various positions.

"Enough theatrics," Marisa said almost in a growl. This was not the kind of person she wanted to deal with. "Pidgeotto, Quick Attack!" The bird Pokemon flew in fast toward the fighting Pokemon.

"Karate Chop!"

"Dodge it!" Pidgeotto weaved elegantly through Machamp's arms as it dodged the attack. "Now, Sand Attack!"

The bird Pokemon flew low and flung sand into the fighting Pokemon's eyes before the Pokemon could react.

"Machamp, watch out!"

"Quick Attack!" Marisa wasted no time with issuing commands to the bird Pokemon. She did not want this battle to drag out any longer than necessary. Pidgeotto had the upper hand and she was going to make sure it kept it.

The bird Pokemon sped up at once and flew fast at the fighting Pokemon. The Pokemon was too busy wiping the sand from its eyes that it did nothing to stop Pidgeotto as the bird slammed into it with enough force to knock the large Pokemon down.

"Ah, Machamp!" Mike ran over to his Pokemon. Marisa blinked a few times as her mind registered what she was seeing. The fighting Pokemon was down with one attack. It was not getting back up.

Marisa sighed. "Good work, Pidgeotto, now return." The bird Pokemon allowed the red light to engulf it and went back into its ball.

The sound of clapping reached Marisa's ears and she quickly turned to see where it was coming from. The figure stood in the shadows of a building. All Marisa could make out were the perfectly manicured fingers on the clapping hands. The crying wails of the other trainer left her mind completely as she watched the shadowed figure slowly approach.

"You have… some skill, but I wonder how you would fair against a strong opponent?"

Marisa did not miss the hint of disdain in the female's voice. She did not even know the woman and already she was hated… or at least she did not think she knew her. The woman dressed very elegantly and was not someone easily forgotten. She wore what seemed to be a simple, yellow sun dress, but on her it seemed to glow. On her feet were white heels that had a ribbon attached. The ribbon weaved around her smooth looking legs. Her black hair was long and waved down her back like water. On top of her head sat a yellow brim hat that had some flowers stuck in it. The hat currently shadowed her face enough that Marisa could not see her eyes.

"Do you know of a strong opponent?" Marisa replied cautiously. Something about the woman was familiar, yet she was fairly certain they had never met. She usually had no problem recognizing people she met before.

A sly smile crossed the female's lips. The woman tipped her hat up so that she could lock her eyes with Marisa's. The woman's eyes were hazel with just a dash of gold. A truly beautiful combination that suited the woman, but did not make Marisa feel any safer. Unconsciously, Marisa took a step back.

"Do I frighten you?" Marisa stared at her. 'Frighten' was not the word she would use to describe the feeling she was receiving.

"No, not frightened, but anyone that just shows up like you did is worth being weary about," Marisa replied masking all emotion. The woman was watching her as if she could read her mind and it was definitely an unsettling feeling.

"You are a cautious girl… do you accept my challenge for a battle?"

'Girl' seemed like a misused title in Marisa's mind. The woman looked to be around the same age even if she held herself more like a queen. Of course, that was not what was in question currently. Marisa had to decide if she would take on the other female. Typically, she did not refuse battles. Battles allowed her Pokemon to earn valuable experience. However, being weary of the opponent did add some level of uneasiness to the normally easy decision. Marisa glanced at the sky. Dusk was still a few hours off and there were still quite a few people around. If things turned out poorly, not only did she still have a full team to back her up, but she could easily hide among the crowds.

Marisa stared at the woman. Blake would probably be all over her. She looked like the type a player like him might attempt to seduce. Mentally, Marisa ridiculed herself for thinking of him. Even when she could be in danger, he still found a way to slip into her mind.

"All right," Marisa said slowly. A thief, a muscle head, thinking about Blake, the beautiful trainer… it was getting to be a full afternoon. "I'll take you on."

The woman smiled sweetly. So sweet in fact that it sent a chill down Marisa's spine. "One Pokemon each?"

Marisa reached behind her back. "Fine with me."

The woman reached into her small yellow purse. Marisa had not noticed the purse until that instance. It fit the female's appearance. From the purse, the female pulled out a pokeball, enlarged it, and sent it flying. "Appear, Espeon!"

Marisa was taken off guard briefly by the Psychic Pokemon. Its coat was glossy and obviously was well taken care of. It should be well taken care of since Eevee evolves into Espeon using the friendly evolution method. The feeling Marisa received from the trainer, did not fit her having such a Pokemon. Just who was this woman?

Marisa took a deep breath and selected her Pokemon. "Umbreon, you're up!"

The Moonlight Pokemon came out and immediately readied itself for battle. Umbreon was the obvious choice based on type advantage, but since it was also getting dark out, it gained another advantage. Bulbasaur moved close to Marisa's leg as it watched its friend prepare for battle.

"Please, take the first move." Warning lights went off in Marisa's head once again. The other female's face gave nothing away as Marisa stared.

"Umbreon, Faint Attack!" Even if there was something planned, Marisa still had a battle to win, so she was going to take her chances.

The dark Pokemon ran toward the psychic Pokemon. When it was close enough to make an impact, Umbreon faded to the left side before disappearing completely and coming in over head. Espeon took a simple step to the right and evaded the attack.

"Tackle it!" Marisa called out not wanting the other Pokemon to get away. She looked at the other trainer. No commands had been issued to Espeon. She had heard that some trainers develop psychic links when they train with psychic Pokemon. If this female was one of those trainers, then the battle would not be easy to win.

Umbreon turned quickly and dove at the Sun Pokemon. Once again, Espeon easily evaded. The evasion was one of grace and Marisa could almost swear she saw sparkles resonate in the air. "Keep at it," Marisa yelled. Umbreon was one of her fastest Pokemon and the Espeon was dodging as if it did not move.

"You can't win," the woman remarked. "You have the type advantage, but I know your Umbreon's weakness."

Marisa said nothing. Its weakness in this battle seemed to be speed or rather a lack of speed. "Umbreon, back away."

Umbreon stopped the onslaught of tackles and moved near Marisa. Both trainer and Pokemon carefully watched the opponents. A plan of attack moved through Marisa's mind.

"You should really just give up," the female told her. "You can't beat my Espeon."

"Umbreon, Quick Attack!" The Moonlight Pokemon ran quickly at Espeon. Marisa could see it begin to move toward the right. "Iron Tail, Right!"

Umbreon's tail lit up. The move was done quickly and accurately. Espeon jumped to get away, but was still clipped by the attack and send into the ground. "Now, Quick Attack!"

The Moonlight Pokemon ran fast at Espeon looking to finish things off. "Playtime is over," the female spoke. "Espeon, Attract."

With a single wink, pink hearts floated toward Umbreon. The dark Pokemon was moving too fast to get out of the way. "Umbreon!" Marisa called out. She knew how Attract worked. It would have no effect unless Umbreon was a different gender than Espeon.

Umbreon avoided hitting Espeon and collided with the ground. Marisa looked at her Pokemon. Pink hearts were clearly visible in its eyes. Marisa was stunned.

"Finish this battle with Tackle."

Marisa could do nothing, but watch as Umbreon went flying hard into the nearby building. It was too infatuated with Espeon and she could do nothing to free it. Reluctantly, Marisa pulled out Umbreon's pokeball. "This battle is over, return."

The woman moved closer to Marisa. "I knew I would win. Now tell me, are you Marisa?"

Marisa froze and Bulbasaur jumped out in front of her as if to protect her. "How do you know my name?" The uneasiness and caution came back full force. A hand unconsciously wrapped around Arcanine's pokeball as a knowing look crossed the woman's face. Things were about to get serious.

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**Next Chapter: Friend or Foe?**

**A/N: Well since no one wants to review (not that I probably deserve any for the long delays…) maybe I can entice someone to talk to me. You can PM me the answer or leave me a review with it. I have a question for my readers.**

**If you could create a team of Pokemon for Blake and/or Marisa using at least one of the Pokemon they have been revealed to have, what would the team be? You can evolve Pokemon to make the team.**

**Blake: Typhlosion, Skarmory, Scizor, Tyrogue, Xatu, and Larvitar**

**Marisa: Arcanine, Umbreon, Espeon, Flareon, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Pidgeotto, Dratini, and Bulbasaur**

**Maybe I'll use your team creation for the story. Never know.**


	13. Marisa Cornered!  Hunt for a Thief!

**A/N: Though I am sick, I still managed to get this chapter done. Special thanks to KRDiva1 I hope this update came fast enough for you and thank you for the review.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.**

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First to Victory: Chapter 13

For every step toward her the woman took, Marisa took one back. The reaction to flee was boiling in her veins getting ready to burst. The signs of danger had been flashing all around ever since the moment she had laid eyes on the female.

"Why do you keep backing away?" The woman's voice seemed to ooze with the distain Marisa had heard earlier.

"Why do you insist on coming closer? You may know my name, but I know nothing about you," Marisa commented while trying to keep her voice as steady as possible. She released the breath she had been holding when her back came in contact with the cold surface of a building. It was not released in relief though, only in surprise. Somehow she always seemed to find herself hitting walls in these situations. The same thing had happened before with Benett. Only there were two things different with this situation as opposed to the previous one. First, she already possessed a Pokémon outside the ball. Second, there was probably little to no chance of Blake showing up as the Knight in Shining Armor.

"Do you believe I only know your name? Or could you be moving away because you fear what I know about you?" The female stopped moving only a couple feet in front of Marisa. "Or… could it be you have something to hide?"

Marisa did not miss the taunting smile that crossed the woman's face. The woman knew much more than she was letting on and acted as if Marisa had no means of getting away. A quick glance around the area revealed that there was no one in sight. If there was back up, Marisa could not see it. Of course, any back up she herself might seek was also nowhere to be found. So, here she was, backed up against a wall, with a trainer that was most likely stronger than her in all areas. To top things off, she still had no idea who the lady was.

"Why should I answer any of your questions when you have ignored mine?" Marisa was truly trying to be tough. She needed to be stronger in these situations. There was no Blake to bail her out. The fear needed to be gone. Later, she could collapse from the emotional impact, but for now, she needed to fight back. As the saying goes… easier said than done, but there was one thing she did know. If this woman was, in fact, with Team Rocket, her knowledge was based on some profile they kept on file and knew nothing about her true nature.

"Why should I? Looks to me like I have the upper hand." The woman motioned her hand in reference to the situation.

A smirk graced Marisa's features in reply. Surprise seems to show up for a moment on the woman's face before it was carefully masked. Marisa took two steps from the wall and effectively closed the gap between them. "Upper hand? In what way?" Marisa motioned to the empty alley. "You clearly have no help on the ground." Her hand moved to the top of the buildings. "If you have help from above, they will have to climb down to assist as the buildings are too tall to safely jump from." Marisa stared into the eyes of the other woman and somewhere in the back of her mind noting that they were the same size. "That being said… why did you approach me? Obviously, you believe you have me beat."

Marisa could feel her knees shaking and was glad that was the only part shaking. She was scared, but remained unfrozen. It had taken all she had to take those couple of steps and anything left had been used to keep her voice steady and firm.

The female stared back for a few moments before she turned and a sound came from her mouth. Marisa blinked a couple of times as she registered the noise. It could not be… and yet it sounded just like muffled laughter. Marisa did not know what to say or do, but her eyes stayed on the female.

"You are just like he said you would be," the woman managed to say as she resumed a more proper posture.

Marisa just kept blinking as the woman looked at her once more. "Huh?" was all she managed to let out.

The woman smiled. It was a warm and gentle smile. It let off an aura of peace opposed to the darkness that had previously been radiating from her. "Lance told me about you."

"L-Lance?" Marisa had barely been able to get the Dragon Master's name across her lips.

The woman nodded and took a step back. "Forgive me for not introducing myself, but I had to see for myself what kind of person you are." There was no longer any trace of distain in her voice. Like her smile, her voice had changed to a warm, welcoming tone. "I'm Cassandra. Cassandra Tannac."

The name took no time to register in Marisa's confused mind and she mentally slapped herself. Cassandra was practically a celebrity and when put right in front of her face, Marisa had completely missed the connection. Lance had even mentioned her during the Pokémon Expo. She was currently being looked at as a potential Elite Four candidate, if she remembered Lance's words correctly. She was also the very same trainer that had knocked Blake out of the Sliver Conference.

Marisa's knees gave out causing her to slide down beside Bulbasaur. The grass Pokémon quickly moved to her in a concerned fashion. There was nothing to fear in Cassandra's presence. The relief that came with that knowledge had removed all the built up tension from her muscles.

"Are you all right?" Cassandra asked with clear concern in her voice.

Marisa managed to raise her arm up with her index finger extended. She needed a moment to organize her thoughts. Team Rocket was clearing wearing her down. There was really no excuse for not recognizing Cassandra. Even if she did not notice by way of appearance, Espeon should have been a dead giveaway. Not many trainers kept their Pokémon as well groomed as Cassandra did. The Pokemon sparkled as it came out. That was not something that occurred with Team Rocket Pokémon. However, was it so wrong to get nervous when Cassandra clearly acted like an enemy?

Glancing up, Marisa did not fail to view the concern and regret on Cassandra's face. Marisa always thought she could handle celebrities since she had managed to somewhat tame Lance, but Cassandra was definitely a different person then him. First of all, clearly she could act, which probably stemmed from her time competing in the Kanto region Pokémon Contests. If memory served, the female won the Grand Festival, which just added to her accomplishments. Secondly, she was just as skilled as her reputation proclaimed. Somehow, she knew that Espeon was a different gender then Umbreon. Attract was not a move blindly used. It took skill to use it correctly and she had used it in a situation that could have been painful had it failed. Her confidence in her abilities was simply amazing.

On top of everything else, Marisa found that she was not mad at the trainer. Any feelings of anger, hate, irritation… all the negative emotions she would normally be feeling seemed to have melted away. All Marisa felt was minor exhausted. Naturally, being upset would be justified. She spent years running from people that were most likely trying to kill her or worse use her in there evil deeds. This 'joke' that had just been played on her she had treated seriously. The fear had been real and yet… she found herself unable to be upset. It was unusual.

Marisa took a deep breath and locked eyes with the other trainer. "Do you always do things like that?" she calmly asked surprised at how steady her voice remained.

Cassandra knelt down beside her. "No, and it was cruel of me. Lance has told me much of your story. I have been working closely with him to help stop Team Rocket."

Marisa frowned, but did not get angry. She knew Marisa would take the whole thing seriously. It should upset her greatly and still she felt nothing. "Did he send you here? Does he think I need a protector?"

"I'm sorry. He didn't ask me to protect you. He told me that I should meet you at least once." Gently, Cassandra took Marisa's hands. "I apologize for my actions. After seeing Blake react to you, I just couldn't keep myself from acting out. If you must blame someone, please direct it toward me."

Marisa blinked as she attempted to register the words, but only one seemed to trigger in her mind. "Blake?"

"Blake Reed. He's a Pokémon Trainer from New Bark Town. Perhaps you've met him?" The way Cassandra inquired about Blake actually sent a small twinge of anger through Marisa's veins. She spoke of him in a friendly, yet loving way and at the same time, Marisa had been thinking that Blake would go for a female like Cassandra.

Marisa's frown deepened. "We've met," she replied with a bite. She failed to hold back the slight anger she felt.

Cassandra only smiled. "I thought so. I caught him watching you while I was having tea with him. I have never seen him look at another woman like he does you."

Marisa just stared. Cassandra did not sound upset, or even jealous. In fact, she sounded accepting, happy. "Now is probably not the time for this though," Cassandra added. "I bet you came here for a gym battle and currently, you are helping Erika."

Marisa nodded. She wanted to know more about Cassandra's relationship with Blake. Mentally, she told herself it was to find out more about his battling style, but another part of her did not want to believe that. For now, though, she did have a job to do. "That's right. If I can find the thief, Erika said she would battle me."

Cassandra stood up and held her hand out to Marisa. "Then shall we get started? It's almost time for the thief to hit."

Marisa took Cassandra's hand without question. She could read between the lines. They both had questions to ask the other, but time for that would come later. For now, they would team up and catch the thief.

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Twigs, bottle caps, small metal rods… the two females gathered all they could that fit the description for the missing items. Both females had come to the same conclusion on who the thief could be. Spreading out the items along the west side of the city, away from the actual buildings, the woman sat in wait. Bulbasaur was safely back in its Pokeball and now Pidgeotto was out and soaring overhead. It was chirping happily as it typically did, but still keeping a close watch on the items. If they did not catch sight of the thief from the ground, then Pidgeotto would from the air and they could use that to catch him.

Umbreon sat beside Marisa on the ground. The Moonlight Pokémon could see much better as it got darker, which could also give them some kind of advantage. As usual, Umbreon was not happy that it lost the battle with Cassandra's Espeon, which made it quite determined to catch the thief. Cassandra's Espeon was also out of its ball and sitting nearby. While not as good in the dark as Umbreon, it was very fast as their battle had demonstrated. Everything was in place, now they just needed the thief. Slowly the sun began its decent casting shadows over the city. The sky was darkening, but both trainers could still see the objects they had placed.

A gentle breeze rustled the nearby trees and then it hit. Small black blurs came from the sky and ground grabbing up the items as well as others. They moved quickly and took whatever they could before disappearing back into the neighboring forest.

"Pidgeotto, don't let them get away!" Marisa yelled from the ground. The bird Pokémon took off into the forest in pursuit of the thieves. On the ground, Marisa and Cassandra ran after Umbreon and Espeon as they did their best to keep up with the fast thieves.

Marisa smiled. She knew exactly what they were chasing and had a very good idea what they would find at the end. The female trainer dove under a tree to keep from hitting it before resuming her run. The forest was not making things easy. They had been forced to enter as a point that only little kids used. Nothing higher up was trimmed away since those same kids were probably the ones that made the path. That made it difficult, but not impossible to get around. With a leap, Marisa cleared a fallen tree. More fallen lumber began to appear making it harder and harder to move quickly. Something had happened in the forest. It looked like a powerful wind or some kind of storm had ripped right through the area. Pidgeotto's voice rang out. Marisa picked up her speed as best as she could. The bird Pokémon had clearly found something, but it sounded like it was being attacked.

Both trainers caught sight of a break in the forest and ran for it. What they found brought sadness to both of them. Sick and injuried Pokémon lay all around. The goods that had been stolen were being used as nests to keep the Pokémon warm. Small groups of Spearow and Rattata moved around tending to the injuried and placing more items down to keep the other Pokémon warm. In the sky, a Fearow was acting as a protector and was attacking Pidgeotto in fear of the safety of the other Pokémon.

"Pidgeotto, fly to me!" Marisa quickly ordered seeing a need to get her Pokemon to safety.

"We don't want to hurt you!" Cassandra called out to the Fearow. "We want to help!" Fearow hesitated briefly upon seeing the humans, but soon dived toward them. "Espeon, use Secret Power."

Espeon jumped in front of the group and began to glow pink. Marisa pulled out her Pokeball and quickly returned Pidgeotto to it. The pink light shot out from around Espeon and slammed into Fearow. The bird Pokémon was knocked back and fell to the ground asleep.

Cassandra pulled out some paper and scribbled a note. "Send this with Pidgeotto to the Pokémon Center. We need Nurse Joy." The female trainer held the note out to Marisa. Marisa quickly took it before releasing Pidgeotto from its ball once more.

"Take this to the Pokémon Center. Bring Nurse Joy here," she told it handing it the note. Pidgeotto took it and quickly left.

"Do you have any supplies to help these Pokémon?" Cassandra quickly asked. Marisa nodded and pulled out what supplies she had. Both trainers began to do what they could to help the injuried Pokémon.

* * *

When Nurse Joy arrived, she brought people and supplies to help with the injured and gave Marisa and Cassandra a much needed rest. The Spearow and Rattata had understood what the Fearow had not and actually helped them with the treatment of their friends, but there were a lot of injured Pokémon.

"What happened here?" Marisa asked when they were able to take a break.

Cassandra shook her head. "I wish I knew. There haven't been any storms that I know of. I wonder if the damage was done by another Pokémon."

"Or humans…" Marisa added on uneasily. She could see Team Rocket doing such a thing. Cassandra said nothing, but Marisa could see that the same thought had crossed her mind as well.

The efforts to treat the injured Pokémon went on well into the night. Many trips were made to and from the Pokémon Center as the injured were transferred for further care. No one seemed to get much rest until they were sure all the Pokémon were treated. The Pokémon that were well, were never far from the side of the injured and once all had been moved, Nurse Joy had let them stay inside the Pokémon Center near their friends as she continued to treat them.

Marisa and Cassandra did what they could, but soon Nurse Joy told them to go. She insisted that they get some sleep, but consented that they could assist her once again in the morning. Reluctantly, they agreed.

"Why don't you come stay with me tonight?" Cassandra offered as they walked out of emergency care.

"You have a place here?" Marisa felt like she knew that, but she was exhausted and her mind was not functioning as well as it normally would.

"It's just down the street from here. You are welcome to use my spare bedroom."

Marisa nodded. Even as tired as she was, her mind was still working partly. If she stayed with Cassandra, they could at least talk a bit before returning to help Nurse Joy. With the decision made, the two trainers left the Pokémon Center.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Girl talk and a gym battle!**

**A/N: Just going to post the same question from last chapter.**

**If you could create a team of Pokemon for Blake and/or Marisa using at least one of the Pokemon they have been revealed to have, what would the team be? You can evolve Pokemon to make the team.**

**Blake: Typhlosion, Skarmory, Scizor, Tyrogue, Xatu, and Larvitar**

**Marisa: Arcanine, Umbreon, Espeon, Flareon, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Pidgeotto, Dratini, and Bulbasaur**


	14. Get that Badge!  Marisa vs Erika!

**A/N: I hate getting sick… anyway, I was going to get this chapter done last week since I was on Spring Break and that didn't happen. Uninvited guests and illness… I have no luck when it comes to breaks. This was suppose to be up Tuesday, but the site wasn't letting me post. Anyway, here is the newest chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.**

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First to Victory: Chapter 14

A slight groan escaped Marisa's lips as light shined on her face. For three straight days, Marisa had been helping around the city. Mainly, she spent her time with the police. Her goal was to figure out what had hurt the Pokémon. Tracks from some kind of machine had been found on the river bank, but no real trail could be identified, other than destruction. Something had been chased and the ones chasing had no issue with hurting other Pokémon. What was unknown was what Pokémon had been the goal.

The conclusion was reached that Team Rocket had been involved, but Marisa had already suspected as much. The investigation would be on going for a while. Confirmation and evidence was needed. However, Marisa found out what she needed… at least for the moment. While she wanted to know exactly what Pokémon they had caught, she at least knew that Team Rocket could be still in the area. Caution would need to be taken when she finally left Celadon City.

Marisa yawned and stretched as she climbed out of bed. It was slightly strange waking up in a bed after all the days she had spent laying on the ground over the past few weeks, but it was not something she objected to. In fact, waking up to the sun in her face was much more unusual. Typically, she set the alarm on her Pokegear and woke before the sun. However, she had chosen not to last night. Erika had tracked her down the previous day and the end result was a gym battle planned for today. She had chosen to stay up late with her Pokémon. It had been a few days since any of them had battled, so she ran them through drills and practice battles. Therefore, sleeping in seemed to be a good idea and she doubted that anyone would attack her while she stayed in Cassandra's home. The people had made it very clear that Cassandra's skills as a trainer were known all over the city.

Marisa dressed quickly and glanced around the room. She had not taken much time to view the room or even the house. Late to bed and early to rise had been her routine. In fact, Marisa had hardly seen the owner of the house. The spare bedroom did not demonstrate the style and grace that Marisa had seen Cassandra portray though. There was a double bed on a wood frame, which was dressed in simple linens of tan and light blue stripes. The bed was pushed against the left wall and a picture of the sea hung on the wall. To the right was a side table with a lamp. The window was behind the lamp. Oh the right wall, there were a few white shelves with some books and little objects like a wooden Espeon statue. At the front of the room was a closet with sliding glass doors. The doors were not exactly the easiest thing to wake up to and that morning, the sunlight had reflected off the mirror to wake her. Overall, it was a very simple room.

Marisa made a final check to make sure she had everything she needed for her gym battle, which was not much. All she really needed were her Pokémon and Pokedex, but she grabbed her Pokegear just in case.

Opening the door, Marisa was assaulted by delicious smells. Even more so than the smells, Marisa was surprised to find Cassandra still there. They really had hardly seen each other. Cassandra had left a note and house key on the table the following morning, which had clearly told her not to leave without them getting a chance to talk. However, both had been so busy that the talk had yet to occur.

"Good morning, Marisa," Cassandra greeted as she set a plate filled with pancakes onto the already crowded table. Pulling off her flowery apron, Cassandra revealed an outfit far less elegant then when they met. Her beautiful black hair was pulled into a loose ponytail with some hair framing her face. Instead of a dress, she now wore a light purple t-shirt with a tan vest and blue jeans, with blue and white running shoes completing the outfit. It was very normal.

"Uh… morning," Marisa managed to get out.

Cassandra smiled. "Please take a seat. I thought we could have breakfast together."

It took Marisa no time to comprehend what Cassandra wanted. She wanted them to talk. After returning the smile, Marisa took a seat and stared at the food. There were sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, pancakes, mini omelets and a few things with potatoes that looked good, but Marisa could not identify them by name.

"Wow, did you make all of this yourself?" Marisa asked as Cassandra took a seat.

"Yes, I quite enjoy cooking, but rarely get to do it for others," she replied before handing Marisa a plate.

Marisa took the plate and began to fill it. "Don't you have a boyfriend?"

Cassandra shook her head while she started to fill her own plate. "I don't, do you?"

Marisa paused and an image of Blake appeared in her head. A frown gradually formed. "Nope," Marisa replied in a sharper tone than she had intended.

"Oh, really?" Cassandra said while adding butter to her pancakes. "I really thought something was going on between you and Blake."

Marisa had chosen the wrong time to drink some water. Very quickly, she found herself coughing. "Me and… Blake?" she managed to get out. Cassandra had practically read her mind, or had she just guessed. Could it have been more than a coincidence that she had thought about Blake right before his name came up?

"Oh, I think I understand… you've been refusing him and he's giving chase." Cassandra took a bite of pancakes while waiting for Marisa to reply.

Marisa took her time before answering and studied Cassandra. The woman was skilled in talking. She was almost emotionless as she spoke. Just what was her relationship with Blake? She knew what Lance had said. Something about them growing up together. "That's putting it lightly," Marisa replied before taking a bite off her omelet.

Cassandra clasped her hands under her chin and leaned in. "How do you feel about him?"

Marisa stared at the other female. She sure did not waste any time. "What makes you think I feel anything for him?"

Cassandra leaned back and returned to her food. "I don't, not really anyway, but I know Blake. We grew up together," she explained confirming what Lance had previously told her. "In all the years I've known him, I have never seen him chase a female."

"He's not chasing me. We're just rivals," Marisa replied almost sadly. Did she want him to chase her? It had been weeks since she had last seen the man. If he was really chasing her, why had he not shown up recently?

"Marisa, do you really believe that?" Cassandra asked seriously. "Even if you do, Blake does not. The way he looks at you is not with the eyes of a rival."

Marisa said nothing. She did not know what to say. She really had not thought seriously, or what she considered to be serious, about Blake… yet her mind frequently moved toward him. She knew that she did not hate him, but what did she really feel toward him. They were just rivals, right? Then, something registered in Marisa's mind. "Wait, looks at me? How would you know how he looks at me?" She seemed to recall a similar comment the day they had met.

"Huh? Oh that… I was out with Blake the other day," Cassandra recalled. "He came by for a brief visit. He wasn't exactly acting like himself and I caught him staring at you while we were having some tea."

Marisa was not sure why, but the thought of the two of them together stung a bit, even though only a few days ago she had been thinking that Cassandra would make a good match for Blake. Just his type. To top things off, Cassandra must have been reading her thoughts again.

Cassandra reached over and took Marisa's hand. "There's nothing between Blake and me. To me, he's more like a bratty younger brother than boyfriend material." Marisa felt her heart lighten a little at the news and yet could not understand why.

Cassandra leaned back in her chair once more. "Listen, Marisa… Blake isn't the kind of person that opens himself up to other people. He fears losing people he cares about like he did his parents."

Marisa stared at Cassandra. "Should you really be telling me something like that?"

"I think you deserve to know. Blake was abandoned as a child. We're not sure how long he lived in the wild among Pokémon, but he was seven when Professor Elm found him and took him in. He's fine with having flings with females, but forming a real bond is not something he is good at. I hope you understand. Lance told me that you no longer have a family."

Marisa nodded. She did understand though her family did not abandon her in the same sense. Still, she understood a bit of Blake's feelings. One of her reasons for avoiding him was out of fear of getting close. Marisa visibly frowned as something caught in her mind.

"Lance had a big mouth," she muttered while wondering what else the Dragon Master had said.

Cassandra smiled. "I won't tell anyone. He told me what I might need to know if I ever encountered you and he told me that you are the reason he had taken such an interest in seeing Team Rocket destroyed." The woman took a quick drink of water. "We're on the same side, Marisa. I am only still in the Kanto region because Lance asked for my assistance."

Marisa sighed and scratched the back of her head. "It is hard for me to stay mad at Lance. I do understand his reasons for telling… I just wish he would at least ask me first before telling people."

Cassandra laughed. "Why don't you call him and tell him yourself?"

Marisa smirked at the thought. "Perhaps I will."

"But before you do that, I suggest you eat up. You need your strength for your gym battle."

Marisa blinked a few times. "How did you know about that?"

Her usual smile broke across her lips. "Erika told me when she came by looking for you yesterday." Marisa was beginning to wonder if anything could be kept hidden from Cassandra.

* * *

Erika happily greeted Marisa and Cassandra as they walked up to the gym. Cassandra had insisted on coming along while admitting that she wanted to see Marisa's skills as a trainer. Marisa had not really bothered fighting her about it. It was not like having an audience affected her all that much, if at all.

As they walked into the gym, Marisa quickly noted that there were many more people around then last time. Things in the gym had apparently returned to normal. Most likely the other people were students of Erika. They did look about the right age.

Erika and Marisa went to their respective boxes while Cassandra stood near the battle judge. Erika had already explained the gym rules when she met with her the previous day. It would be a 3 Pokémon battle with no time limit. Marisa was ready.

The judge dropped the flags. "Let the battle commence," she announced.

"Weepinbell, prepare for battle," Erika called out while releasing her first Pokémon.

Marisa smiled while selecting her own Pokémon. "Bulbasaur, let's go!" The Pokeball flew out and released the grass Pokémon. The decision to use Bulbasaur had been made the previous night. While her fire types would be stronger against Erika's grass Pokémon, Bulbasaur needed the experience in battle and what better way to get it then in an actual gym battle.

"Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf!" The grass Pokémon sent out a wave of sharp leaves toward Weepinbell.

"Dodge and use Acid," Erika quickly ordered. Weepinbell did as it was told and easily avoided the razor leaf and sent purple goo toward Bulbasaur.

"Dodge!" Marisa yelled, but Bulbasaur's inexperience showed. It did not move quickly enough and the acid attack hit. The grass Pokémon tried to shake it off as it burned.

"Slam!" Erika quickly ordered. Weepinbell charged toward Bulbasaur.

"Use Vine Whip to knock Weepinbell back!" Bulbasaur swung it's vines in front, but Weepinbell was too fast for the stationary Bulbasaur and still managed to slam into it.

A flag was raised. "Bulbasaur is unable to battle," the judge called out. Marisa had known Bulbasaur would not last long, but she had to let it try. Now that it had a good taste of battle, Bulbasaur would grow stronger.

Marisa pulled out Bulbasaur's ball and recalled her hurt Pokémon. "Good try," she told it before returning the ball to her belt. Pokémon number two was selected. "Pidgeotto, you're up!" she called as she threw the ball.

The bird Pokémon chirped happily as it came out. "Quick Attack!" Marisa ordered quickly.

"Spread Poison Powder through the air," Erika commanded. The grass Pokémon sent the poisonous powder all through the air as Pidgeotto moved in.

"Not going to work," Marisa said with a smile. "Use Gust and follow it up with Wing Attack!"

Pidgeotto whipped up a powerful gust attack that sent all the Poison Powder back at Weepinbell. "Acid!"

The grass Pokémon shot the purple goo toward Pidgeotto as the Pokémon came in with glowing wings. Pidgeotto easily dodge the attack and slammed hard into the other Pokémon. Weepinbell flew into a nearby tree.

"Weepinbell is unable to battle," the judge called out with a flag raised.

Erika recalled her Pokémon and selected her next one. "Tangela!" The vine covered Pokémon came out ready to battle.

"Pidgeotto, Quick Attack!" The bird Pokémon soared toward the vine Pokémon.

"Tangela, use Mega Drain!" Green light surrounded the Pokémon and Marisa quickly noticed Pidgeotto's speed slowing down.

"Pidgeotto, get out of there with Agility!" The bird Pokémon chirped as it broke away from the attack.

"Use Growth." Erika suddenly ordered. Tangela glowed briefly as its power increased.

"Use Gust." Marisa quickly ordered. She could not risk Pidgeotto getting in close at the moment. She needed to watch for an opening.

The gust attack seemed more powerful than before and begun to push at Tangela, but Erika was not going to let the same trick get her again. "Use Mega Drain."

Tangela glowed once more as its attack reached toward Pidgeotto. "Dodge it, and use Wing Attack!"

Pidgeotto flew around and charged toward Tangela from another side. "Quick, Stun Spore and follow up with Slam." The golden colored powder sprinkled out around Tangela just as Pidgeotto got close. The powder immediately weaken Pidgeotto, but it still flew into Tangela just as the other Pokémon slammed back.

Two flags rose. "Pidgeotto and Tangela are unable to battle." Both trainers pull out a ball and recalled their Pokémon.

Marisa knew exactly who her last Pokémon would be and quickly pulled out the ball. "Arcanine, you're up!" The fire Pokémon roared fiercely as it exited the ball. It had been a while since Arcanine battled.

Erika tossed her final Pokémon out as well. "Bellossom!" The grass Pokémon seemed to dance out of the ball.

"Arcanine, Flamethrower!" Marisa quickly ordered. She doubted it would hit though, but had a plan.

"Bellossom, dodge it and use Magical Leaf." Marisa frowned briefly. Magical Leaf was an attack that did not miss.

Bellossom danced out of the way of the fire attack and sent glowing leaves toward Arcanine. The attack hit as expected, but Arcanine stood its ground.

"Arcanine, move in closer." Marisa ordered. Arcanine wasted no time in charging toward Bellossom.

"Jump and use Stun Spore," Erika commanded. Bellossom lept high in the air and started to rain stun spore down below.

"Not going to work this time. Arcanine, combine Extreme Speed with Flame Wheel and get that Pokémon!" Arcanine turned into a one large flame as it sped around the field.

"Use Magical Leaf to stop it!" Erika yelled.

Bellossom sent the leaves toward its target just as Arcanine jumped. The leaves had no effect with the flame shield involved and Arcanine slammed hard into Bellossom sending it into the ground.

A flag came up. "Bellossom is unable to battle. The winner is Arcanine and Marisa."

Marisa gave a little smile as she hugged Arcanine. "I knew you wouldn't fail me," she told her Pokémon. In truth, she had thought to give Arcanine the whole battle. The fire Pokémon would have had no trouble with any of Erika's grass types.

Erika recalled Bellossom and walked over to Marisa. "You've earned this," she told her holding out the Rainbow Badge.

Marisa took it with a smile. "And to think, you were just going to give me the badge yesterday," she remarked remembering their conversation. The Gym Leader had actually offered to just hand over the badge because of all the work Marisa had done in the city, but Marisa had refused. She did not want a freebee badge even if she had known that she would win the battle. Erika was kind to offer and she was sure there were trainers that would jump at getting a badge without a battle. She was not one of them. She wanted the experience for her Pokémon and she had gotten it.

* * *

"So, where is your next stop?" Cassandra asked as they left the gym.

Marisa thought about it for a few moments. "I think I'll head for Fuchsia City next," she finally answered.

"Shall we travel together then?"

Marisa looked over at Cassandra. "Huh?"

Cassandra smiled at the other trainer. "Nurse Joy asked me to deliver a package to someone that is working in that area, so would you like to travel together since we are heading to the same place?"

Marisa tried to come up with any reason why she should not travel with Cassandra and could find none. The fact was that Team Rocket could be still in the area and traveling with someone was not a bad thing especially when that someone was a trainer as strong as Cassandra. "All right, I have no problem with that," she told her still trying to come up with some reason to refuse.

She could not deny that she liked Cassandra. Of course, Cassandra had a personality that made her pretty hard to hate. However, the female was making her think of Blake more so then she already had been, but Marisa could not use that as a reason not to travel with her… could she? No, she could not. Well, for the time she could deal with it. It was not like they were going to see Blake, right

* * *

**Next Chapter: A visit to Fushsia City.**

**A/N:**

**So if anyone has a suggestion for the Safari Zone, now is the time to get it to me.**

**Just going to post the same question from last chapter.**

**If you could create a team of Pokemon for Blake and/or Marisa using at least one of the Pokemon they have been revealed to have, what would the team be? You can evolve Pokemon to make the team.**

**Blake: Typhlosion, Skarmory, Scizor, Tyrogue, Xatu, and Larvitar**

**Marisa: Arcanine, Umbreon, Espeon, Flareon, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Pidgeotto, Dratini, and Bulbasaur**


	15. Sneaky Nidoran! Soul Badge Rumble!

**A/N: This is a little longer than normal, but not by much. On my outline, this chapter was originally two separate chapters, but I thought it worked out better this way. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.**

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First to Victory: Chapter 15

A day that was supposed to be filled with a new badge turned into a disaster as rain began to fall from the sky. Marisa groaned as she crawled through the bushes looking for the Pokemon that stole her Pokedex. She had to get it back. She had no idea what Professor Oak would do if she lost it and she had no intention of finding out. With a slip of her hand, Marisa found herself face first in the mud. What had she done to deserve this?

_**Earlier That Day**_

"Well… would you look at that?" Cassandra remarked staring at the door to the gym.

Marisa frowned. It had taken them seven days to get from Celadon City to Fushsia City. All Marisa wanted was to get her Gym battle out of the way, but the gym was located an hour outside of the actual city. The walk, of course, was through trees and bushes and there was no real path to be found. Naturally, once they arrived, there just had to be a big, bold sign shouting the terrible word '**CLOSED**' right in her face.

Cassandra looked over at Marisa. "Well, what are you going to do?"

A sigh left Marisa's lips. "Not much I can do. I'll have to come back tomorrow," she reluctantly admitted.

The other female smiled at her. "That's not so bad. You can come with me."

Marisa quickly decided she was in no mood to argue or even think about other options. She wanted a gym battle, but that was not going to happen. There could not have been much wrong with going with Cassandra. "Where are we going?"

* * *

The younger trainer was pleasantly surprised when Cassandra told her they had arrived at their destination. She had actually forgotten the famous Kanto Safari Zone was located near Fushsia City. However, Marisa was more interested in what business Cassandra had there, though that was not going to keep her from trying her hand at getting some new Pokemon. She did have a Pokemon League competition to get ready for, even if the gym badges were causing her a bit of trouble.

As the pair passed through the large wooden gate, a young woman walked toward them. "Cassandra!" she called out happily.

Marisa watched as the two woman embraced. The new female looked like she might work there or at least was studying Pokemon. She wore a tan colored shirt that buttoned up and had four pockets, one on each corner. Around her waist was a dark brown belt that carried a black radio and some Pokeballs. Her tan pants were baggy and also had a number of pockets and the bottom of her pants lead right into her brown boots.

The female flung some of her short, light brown hair out of her hazel eyes as she looked at Marisa. Cassandra moved between them. "Marisa, this is Shirley. Shirley is in charge of all things concerning the Safari Zone. Shirley, this is Marisa, she is a Pokemon trainer from Pallet Town."

Shirley smiled at Marisa. "A trainer? Well, welcome to the Safari Zone," she greeted. "You must want to take part in our catching game."

Before Marisa could reply, she felt the other female take hold of her arm and was already dragging her toward an unpainted house. Cassandra laughed. "Before you take her away, is the Doctor here?"

Shirley stopped pulling Marisa and looked over her shoulder. "Yeah, he should be behind the office. I just saw him tending to a hurt Paras."

"Doctor?" Marisa asked as she managed to slip out of Shirley's grip.

Cassandra smiled. "The reason I came here," she replied simply as she started to walk.

Shirley avoided grabbing Marisa again and allowed her to follow Cassandra. The office was actually the building Shirley had been dragging Marisa toward. In honesty, Marisa was slightly surprised to hear that the Safari Zone had a Pokemon Doctor. Her understanding was that the Pokemon basically lived in their natural habitat and they would not really need the aid of humans.

The back of the office bordered a more forest area of the Safari Zone, but that did not make it less livable. There was an enclosed fire pit as well as multiple lawn chairs. A stack of wood was plied against the wall and a little further out was a picnic table, which was where a man sat with a Paras on his lap.

A surge of familiarity hit Marisa as she looked at the man. She was sure that she did not know him personally, but he looked familiar. He wore a forest green shirt under a thick brown vest that had many pockets. His pants were baggy and had a light brown color to them. His shoes were just regular sneakers that were blue and white in color. What stood out the most though was his face and skin tone. Skin that was quite tan, squinty eyes, and spiky brown hair.

"Brock!" Cassandra called out jogging over to the male.

The man, now identified as Brock, knotted the wrap he had put around Paras' claw and gave the Pokemon a bowl of Pokemon food before looking up. He gave Cassandra a brotherly smile. "Cassandra, it's good to see you," he told her as he stood up.

It was then that Marisa registered Brock's name and occupation. "Ah! You're the former Gym Leader in Pewter City!" She exclaimed without meaning to.

Brock looked over at her. "That's right," he replied as he gave Cassandra a hug.

"And you also traveled with Ash and Misty," she added on remembered how fondly the pair had talked about their former companion.

Brock's face seemed to lighten up at the mention of his friends. He gently released Cassandra. "Correct, but I'm afraid I don't know who you are."

Even though Marisa had been told that Brock went after woman like a magnet, she was surprised by how restrained he was especially in terms of his hug with Cassandra. If he was so into woman, wouldn't Cassandra make him go insane? Naturally, she was thankful for the more subdued nature. She already had one pervert to worry about. She had no need for a second one. "I'm Marisa. I'm a Pokemon trainer from Pallet Town. I met your brother at the Pewter Gym and I attended the Pokemon Expo with Ash and Misty. They told me about you," she quickly explained as she moved closer.

"Marisa came with me since the Gym is closed," Cassandra added as she pulled off her backpack and pulled out a package. "Nurse Joy in Celadon City wanted me to give this to you."

The doctor took the package. "Ah, these are probably the berries I asked for," he remarked. "I want to make up a new medicine, but I didn't have all the ingredients, so I asked Nurse Joy to get them for me."

Marisa walked over and knelt down beside the injured Paras. "I didn't realize the Safari Zone was so dangerous for the Pokemon living here," she commented while noting at how well Brock had treated the Pokemon.

A sigh came from Shirley. "Normally, it is fine here, but lately that hasn't been the case," she confessed. "There's a rather violent female Nidoran that's been stirring up trouble lately."

"A Nidoran? That's unusual… female Nidoran are usually quite timid," Marisa said as she reached for her Pokedex from her back pocket… or at least that was what she intended to grab. Quickly, she looked around.

"Something wrong?" Cassandra asked immediately noticing the change in Marisa.

"You could say that… my Pokedex is gone." Marisa quickly rose to her feet and checked around. She knew she had it a few minutes ago. It had never just fallen out.

"Is it red?" Shirley suddenly asked pointing in the direction of the forest.

Marisa quickly looked in the direction Shirley pointed and sure enough, there was her Pokedex, only it was in the mouth of a female Nidoran. "Is that the Nidoran causing all the trouble?" Marisa asked as she thought about the best way to approach the Pokemon. She had not even felt the Pokemon come near her. It was fast and based on what little information she knew, it was also strong.

Shirley nodded. "It is and this isn't the first time it has taken something from a human."

The Nidoran stared Marisa down in challenge. The trainer smirked. She was not going to let the Pokemon win. She had to get back her Pokedex. "How about I catch it and get it out of here?" Marisa grabbed a Pokeball off her belt, but Shirley stepped in front of her.

"Stop! It's a Safari Zone Pokemon, you cannot battle or use normal Pokeballs to catch it." Marisa frowned. She knew the rules of the Safari Zone. She just did not care all that much at this time and she did not see why Shirley was so big on holding to the rules at that moment either. The Pokemon was hurting other Pokemon and stealing from people and she had just volunteered to move the Pokemon out, so that Brock would not have to stick around and things could go back to normal.

"Then give me what I need. I have to get my Pokedex back," Marisa said a bit more harshly then she would have liked. She watched the Nidoran closely. It had not moved. It just stood and watched them with her Pokedex clenched in its teeth. If she could get close enough, then it would not matter what ball she had on her or what she could or could not do.

Shirley quickly ran into the office, a clear sign of just how harsh Marisa had sounded. She had moved in such a way that one might have thought she was being chased by Beedrill. "Marisa, are you really going to go after it?" Cassandra asked while Shirley was gone.

Marisa did not look at the other trainer. She kept her eyes locked on the blue Pokémon. "Yeah." Marisa saw a challenge in the eyes of the Pokémon. The Pokémon was taunting her and she did not like it. No matter what it took, she would win this war.

The Pokémon moved into a fighting position by crouching low as Shirley reappeared, in her hand was a basket filled with green Pokeballs. Rather than take the whole basket, Marisa reached in and grabbed a few and stuffed them in her pockets. She would need to move quickly to get the Pokémon before her. Everyone waited for the first move to be made.

With a quick turn, the first was made by Nidoran as it dived into the forest. Marisa wasted no time in chasing after it. Brock smiled as he watched Marisa take off. "How about some lunch?" he suggested to the remaining females. Marisa was on her own.

_**Present Time**_

It had been a few hours since Marisa had left everyone else to chase after the troublesome Nidoran. She was wet, muddy and her left knee was bleeding from a particularly sharp twig. Did that stop her? Not in the least. In fact, the whole thing made her more determined to catch the elusive Pokémon. She was not one to give up on a challenge, which was probably one of the reasons the Professor had given her a Pokedex in the first place.

Marisa opened her backpack and grabbed out some gauze and tape. Quickly, she wrapped up her knee. She did not need it to get infected while she chased after a Pokémon. She doubted it would, but with how things had been going, luck was not on her side. With a sigh, Marisa stood up and looked around. The rain was making it hard to see and she had, unfortunately, lost sight of the blue Pokémon while crawling through bushes.

Marisa closed her eyes and leaned against the tree as she opened her mind. She was sure the Pokémon was close. This was just a game to it. Marisa was sure that the Pokémon only wanted to play and just did not know its own strength. If it was truly violent, then she was sure it would not be playing this game of hide and seek with her. However, the game was getting old.

A small smile graced Marisa's face as the bushes near her rustled. Her call had worked. It had been a while since she used her power, so she had not been sure what would happen. Quickly, the trainer withdrew one of the Safari Balls from her pocket.

Nidoran slowly stuck its head out from the bush with Marisa's Pokedex still secure in its teeth. Mentally, Marisa prayed that the device was not damaged. Kneeling down, Marisa opened her arms to the Pokémon. "You are a strong opponent," she told her slowly. "Why don't you come with me?"

The Pokémon studied her. Marisa could see the fatigue in Nidoran's eyes. While the Pokémon had been enjoying the game, it probably had not eaten the entire time. Marisa sighed as the thought hit her. She probably could have gotten this over with much sooner if she had really thought about it.

The trainer reached into her bag and pulled out a canteen of Pokémon food. Quickly, she poured some out onto her hand and held it out to the Pokémon. Nidoran sniffed the air before making an excited leap at Marisa's hand. Marisa could not help but smile. Pulling out the Safari Ball once more, Marisa set it down beside the Pokémon. "Why don't we end this game? Come traveling with me," she offered once more.

Nidoran ate the last of the Pokémon food in Marisa's hand and looked at the ball. This was not one of Marisa's favorite means to catch a Pokémon, but she had used her abilities to lure it out. She at least wanted it to have some choice in whether or not it came with her. Nidoran spoke happily as it walked to the ball. "Welcome to the team," Marisa said as she picked up the ball and gently bonked Nidoran on the head. The poison pin Pokémon went in without any trouble. A sigh of relief left Marisa's lips as she looked at the ball in her hand. She hoped it was worth the trouble.

* * *

"Marisa!" Cassandra called out as the female came out from the forest. The rain had stopped while Marisa had been walking back. The older trainer ran for her as soon as she saw the bloody wrap around Marisa's knee. "What happened?" she asked with her voice full of concern.

Marisa smiled weakly knowing that she probably looked much worse than she felt. "Nothing much," she replied, but held up Nidoran's Safari Ball and her Pokedex. "But I did succeed."

After a quick phone call to Professor Oak, which involved Nidoran's transfer, Marisa was forced into relaxing… though she did not quite agree with the term. The two females forced Marisa into a bath, which involved them thoroughly cleaning her themselves. This torture, as Marisa was calling it, was followed with Brock checking her injuries and looking for any other ones. Needless to say, she was not exactly comfortable with the whole thing. The delicious meal prepared by Brock had almost made it all worth while… almost. She understood that Shirley was happy that the Nidoran had been taken care of, but Marisa had other things in mind, like training for tomorrow's Gym battle. Fortunately, Brock picked up on it and helped her free herself from the two females. He even introduced her to his Crobat and Croagunk. She had been more than happy to try her luck against the poison Pokémon and was pleased to get the new data for her Pokedex. With that battle, she felt ready to take on the Fuchsia Gym.

_**Next Day**_

Pushing open the large wood doors, Marisa entered the Fuchsia Gym. It was different than other gyms, not only in location, but appearance. It looked like an old style mansion or something similar to that. It looked just like the kind of place to have traps at every turn, which Brock had warned her, it did. Carefully, she navigated through the halls. Having already said her good byes to everyone, she was once again alone in her journey.

"Are you a challenger?" A voice called out as she entered an open room that looked similar to a dojo.

"I am," Marisa called out. "I am Marisa from Pallet Town."

A rush of wind surged through the room as a person appeared on the other side of the room. She wore mainly black, but had a red sash around her waist and a long red scarf around her neck. Her purple hair was tied back in a thick ponytail. "I am Janine, the Fuchsia City Gym Leader. The battle with be two Pokémon each with no time limit."

"Sounds good," Marisa replied already reaching for her first Pokémon.

"Venomoth, come out!" Janine called out sending out her first Pokémon.

Marisa reached for Arcanine's Pokéball before quickly changing her mind. She had another Pokémon that could handle a Venomoth. "Pidgeotto, you're up," she called out sending her bird Pokémon into battle. "Start things off with Wing Attack!"

Pidgeotto flew toward Venomoth with glowing wings. "Stop it with Confusion," Janine ordered. Venomoth's eyes began to glow.

"Pidgeotto, spin away and use Quick Attack!" The bird Pokémon spun out of the line of sight and added on the burst of speed to ensure that it avoided the attack.

"Venomoth, dodge!" The poison Pokémon barely managed to float away from the attack.

"Not done yet. Pidgeotto, do a loop and use Wing Attack!" The bird Pokémon flew in a circle form while it's wings begun glowing once more. "Agility!"

"Supersonic!" Venomoth sent out the attack right as Pidgeotto made contact with the Pokémon. Venomoth was slammed into the wall from Pidgeotto's attack.

A judge suddenly appeared wearing an all black costume similar to Janine's. "Venomoth is unable to battle," he declared before disappearing once more.

"Venomoth, return," Janine said. She was clearly surprised at the strength of Pidgeotto. Marisa was proud of her bird Pokémon. She had made the right choice when she caught it. "Weezing, come out!"

Marisa looked at her Pokémon. Pidgeotto was flying strangely. "Pidgeotto, return," she said calling it back to its ball. Venomoth had managed to get the supersonic off before being defeated. Pidgeotto would not be of much use while confused. "Arcanine, you're up!" she called sending out her fire Pokémon. Arcanine roared as it came out.

"Smokescreen," Janine ordered as she got things started. Weezing quickly filled the field with the dark fog. "Sludge Bomb!"

"Surround yourself with Fire Spin," Marisa quickly ordered. The flame shield protected Arcanine from the sludge attack while also sending much of the smokescreen away. "Extreme Speed!" Before Janine could call out another attack, Arcanine rammed into Weezing. Surprisingly, the Poison Gas Pokémon stood its ground.

"Toxic!" Weezing shot out the purple goo before Arcanine could get out. Marisa saw the poison seep into her Pokémon. She needed to finish the battle quickly now.

"Combine Agility and Flamethrower!" It was a combination they had not done in a while, but Arcanine knew what to do. The Pokémon ran in circles around Weezing while creating a flaming tornado that surrounded Weezing. Janine could do nothing, but look on. "Finish it off with Take Down!" Arcanine jumped through the flames and slammed hard into Weezing. The poison gas Pokémon went flying out of the flames and slammed hard into the wall.

The judge appeared once more. "Weezing is unable to battle. The Challenger wins!"

* * *

"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Marisa said as she took her Pokémon back from the nurse. She had sprinted to the Pokémon Center after receiving the Soul Badge from Janine. The poison had been really hurting Arcanine and she was not going to let her Pokémon suffer. Of course, now she needed to decide what to do next. The next gym she would be heading to was on Cinnabar Island. She would need to take a ferry to get there, which would cut down on any training. That made the choice much easier. Rather than rushing off to the next gym, she would head down to the beach and work with her Pokémon.

It took Marisa some time to find a good place. She did not want to be around too many people. Too big of a chance of people getting hurt while she worked. Fortunately, she found a nice place at the far end of the beach. It was near a road, but that did not matter to her. She mainly wanted to work with Vaporeon and Dratini, which meant sticking to the water.

"Come out, everyone!" She called out as she sent all six of her Pokeballs flying. Dratini and Vaporeon immediately dived into the water, clearly happy to be out of their balls. Pidgeotto chirped happily as it flew around. Arcanine and Umbreon looked around cautiously before laying down on the sand. Bulbasaur stuck its toe in the water as if trying to figure out if it was safe or not. Marisa pulled off her jacket and backpack while her Pokémon relaxed for a bit.

"Arcanine, I want you to stand guard. You had a tough battle today, so I want to you take some rest time." The fire Pokémon nodded in understanding. "Umbreon, Bulbasaur, I want you two to work on dodging attacks. Use Iron Tail and Razor Leaf." Marisa pulled a target out of her bag. "Pidgeotto, I want you to carry this. Fly around while holding it." The bird Pokémon flew down and snatched up the target in its claws. "Vaporeon, use water gun to hit the target." Marisa looked over at her dragon Pokémon and thought about what to work with it on. Dratini had grown greatly as a result of its training with Lance's Dragonite.

Before Marisa could issue orders to her Dratini, a feeling rushed through her. Like a whisper on the wind the chill came and the voice soon followed. It was feather light, almost as if it never came, but it had. It shot through her like a spark or a flame and all it was was one word.

_"Marisa."_

* * *

**Next Chapter: The Visitor.**


	16. Playboy Blues!

**A/N: No, I'm not dead. End of the semester is… well, painful. Anyway, here's the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.**

* * *

First to Victory: Chapter 16

_"Marisa."_

Marisa's heart pounded while her chest tightened at the sound of her name. Here she was surrounded by all her Pokémon and yet… the chill moved through her body. There was someone behind her. Watching her. Swallowing hard, Marisa slowly started to turn. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe there was some ghost Pokémon playing tricks on her. It did not have to be a bad thing. After all the things that had been happening, maybe it was just her mind messing with her. Or maybe it was- Marisa's mind stopped working. Yes, there was someone watching her, but it was nothing like what she had been thinking.

The blue eyes that were usually warm and full of life were filled with longing and sadness as they bore into her. Marisa broke the eye contact and studied the male before her. It was more than just his eyes. His black cargo pants were torn in places and his red muscle shirt was stained with dirt and mud. This black jacket was tied around his waist, so she was unable to tell its condition. His blonde hair was beginning to look more brown than blonde from the dirt scattered through it, but what struck her the most as odd was the shadow of a beard growing on his face. Had this been what Cassandra had been talking about when she had said Blake had not been himself? Her eyes moved and rested on the purple monkey Pokémon sitting on his shoulder. The Pokémon was studying her just like she was studying them.

"Are you seducing Pokémon now, Mr. Pervert?" The words had come out before Marisa knew it. It was not exactly the best line, but if it got him to stop staring at her with such desire then it was probably worth it.

* * *

Blake had told himself to keep walking when he saw her and yet… his legs would not move. Feelings had sprung forth anew when he had spotted her in Celadon City and now? It was taking all his strength to not run and pull her into his arms. Her name had escaped his lips before he could stop himself. His mind prayed that she would not hear it, but his heart… his heart desired the opposite.

The past week had nearly killed him. He had gone to Celadon City purely to visit Cassandra. It had not even occurred to him that Marisa could have been there. Everything had rushed back to him the moment he had laid eyes on her. Walking away at that point had been harder than he thought and he had not even spoken a word to her. He wanted to rush to her, hold her in his arms and beg her to forgive him, but knew she would probably hit him if he even attempted such a thing.

Slowly, she turned and faced him. His heart stopped as her emerald eyes found his blue ones. He could not move. His body was frozen in place. If possible, she was more beautiful than the last time he had seen her. A gentle breeze running through her hair with the water making the perfect backdrop… even without her being in a swimsuit that would normally complete the whole image, he saw perfection.

"Are you seducing Pokemon now, Mr. Pervert?" Blake blinked a few times as his mind registered the sweet sound of her voice… wait… seducing Pokemon?

As if on cue, Blake felt the Pokemon on his shoulder stir and leap off. "Aipom!" he called out in a weak attempt to stop the monkey Pokemon. Aipom did not like many humans outside himself. In fact, the only person it tolerated other than himself was Professor Elm. It was for that reason that he even had the Pokemon out. Aipom kept people from bothering him… and now, his violent, people hating Pokemon was running toward the one person he hated to hurt.

Blake could only watch as Aipom jumped at Marisa. The female trainer did not move. In fact, she caught the monkey Pokemon and let it climb on her shoulders. Aipom danced happily. Blake released the breath he had been unconsciously holding before initiating a slow approach toward Marisa. If his Aipom could do it, then why couldn't he?

* * *

Marisa smiled at the Pokemon dancing on her shoulders. She felt the tension of being in Blake's presence draining away.

"Aipom likes you." Marisa looked forward once more. Blake was moving closer to her. As an excuse not to keep staring at the handsome male coming toward her, Marisa pulled out her Pokedex and checked Aipom's data.

_"Aipom, the Long Tail Pokémon. Aipom is able to climb and hang from branches using its powerful tail. Aipom live atop tall trees."_

"You have a lot of Pokemon," Marisa remarked while thinking about all the different ones she had seen Blake use. Other than his Scizor and Tyrogue, he had used Pokemon that were rare to find in regions outside of Johto… well at least as far as she knew. The point her mind was trying to make was that other than Typhlosion, every time she saw his Pokemon, they were different ones and they were strong. There was no doubt in Marisa's mind that Blake trained his Pokemon well. With a simple movement, Marisa returned her Pokedex to her backpocket.

"You could say that." Marisa swallowed hard as she realized that he was now within feet of her and he had stopped moving. Slowly, she faced him once more and starting into his blue eyes. Heat flowed through her body from the intensity she saw.

Aipom lept off her shoulder and ran toward the other Pokemon. What it did with them, Marisa could not say. She did know that her Pokemon were not training as she had ordered them to. However, her mind was barely processing anything that was occurring outside of Blake and her. Up close, Blake was still just as handsome as he usually was, even with the start of a beard and lots of dirt. In fact, Marisa found the rough look to be even more breathtaking than normal and yet, she still saw the sorrow in his eyes. Something was clearly bothering him.

"Marisa," he said with seriousness echoing in his tone. "I… uh…" Blake moved his eyes so that he no longer looked at her and took a deep breath before locking his eyes with hers once more. "Marisa, it was wrong of me to touch you like I did and I deserve more than what you gave me. I am very sorry for my behavior."

Marisa was dumbstruck for many moments while her mind figured out what he was talking about. Emotion flooded back to her as her mind took hold of the memory from their last meeting. She had let him kiss her and had very much enjoyed it… at least until he had tried to go further. The surprised that came with his actions had caused her to attack him and for a while she was mad at him.

A thought struck her. _'Has this been bothering him all this time?'_ Guilt flowed through her at the thought. He could have approached her at anytime. Cassandra had told her that he had seen her in Celadon City, yet he had not come anywhere near her. Even when she found him behind her, he had a look that shouted that he would rather run than talk with her. The facts were clear. She was part, if not all, of the reason behind the behavior Cassandra had spoken of. By why? Blake was handsome and charming, even if she would rather not admit it. He could have any woman he wanted, and yet he had let that day affect him so much.

Marisa watched as Blake closed his eyes. He was prepared to take any punishment she was willing to give, but there was nothing she wanted to do to him. He had clearly suffered a lot from that single day. Could she really punish him more? Did she want to? Slowly, Marisa closed the distance between them as if her legs were moving all on their own.

* * *

Blake stood waiting for Marisa's response. It took all he had to just say those few sentences and now he could not even bring himself to look at her. The silence was attacking him in ways he did not know it could. Yes, he had fallen that low and yet, he had known this would happen or at least known to a point. He did not think Marisa would forgive him with just a few words. Begging was probably more along the lines of what he needed to do. She was a hard woman and not someone that would forgive his transgression. If he was lucky, she would stop with just giving him another punch… if he was lucky.

A rush of warmth filled his body and not the kind that comes from a new bruise forming. Slender arms encircled his torso while a warm body pressed against him. It was almost more then he could bear.

Blake slowly opened his eyes and looked into Marisa's emerald ones. He could not read the expression in them, but he was sure that it was not hatred he saw. How could it be when her arms were holding him so gently? This was not the first time a female had hugged him, far from it, but this was Marisa and he was sure that his face was bright red. In fact, he knew it was because it was burning up.

A sly smile graced Marisa's lips and instantly, Blake felt worry surge through his body. "I'll forgive you… on one condition." Slowly, Marisa let him go. It took all that Blake had to not reach out for her and pull her back. Instead, he watched her as she backed away from him.

"What?" It had been hard to get that one word out and he was sure that she could tell just how unsteady he was.

"Take a bath." Take a… bath? Blake's mind barely registered the words before a surge of water assaulted him.

* * *

Marisa laughed as she watched Vaporeon's water gun slam into Blake. He was so out of it that she was fairly certain that he had missed her giving the attack order. The water gun was not at full power. She was not that mean. It was strong enough to knock him on his back and drench him, though. In truth, she had not been planning to do anything to him. Even the hug had been done unconsciously, but after being so close to him, she had quickly realized one thing. Blake smelled and not like he usually did. The dirt and grime on his body were not just for show. She very much suspected that he had not had a bath (or shower) for many days. Of course, that was not unusual for a trainer. For Blake it was though. She had noted during the short time that she had traveled with him that he took care to keep up a certain image. The Blake of today was not the one she knew.

Blake spit up some water and rubbed his chest as he sat up. "Are we even now?" He managed to say as he removed his pack and tossed it to the side.

Marisa could not help, but smile. "We were before," she admitted as she moved toward him. "I just thought you could use a good soaking."

"Hmm… I think you just wanted an excuse for me to take off my shirt," he remarked as he pulled off the wet shirt. Marisa quickly turned away and knew she was blushing. She had not been thinking about that at all.

"Why do you look away?" The words were whispered into her ear and sent warmth through her body. Solid arms closed around her and pulled her back against a chest. It took all Marisa had to not melt against Blake's body. How was he able to affect her so much?

"Thank you." The words came out slowly and then the warmth left Marisa's body and Blake released her.

Marisa could not help herself. Slowly, she turned to look at the male trainer. Blake was reaching down and picking up his pack and wet shirt. His arms weren't the only toned thing on his body. He was very much a solid male. All the traveling did him good.

"Will you watch Aipom for me?" The question came suddenly throwing Marisa off guard.

"Huh?"

Blake chuckled. "See something you like?" He teased briefly. "I asked if you would watch Aipom for me for a bit. I'll be back in an hour or two."

Marisa looked away. "What makes you think I'll still be here?"

"You're heading to Cinnabar Island, right?"

Marisa looked back at him. "How did you know that? Have you been stalking me, Mr. Pervert?"

Blake shrugged. "If I was stalking you, it was unintentional. If you must know, I was trying to avoid you for reasons of my own. However, things have changed a bit." He gave her a wink. "Anyway, there's some police investigation going on at the port and so no ships are allowed to leave for a few days. Do you have a Pokémon that can get you there?"

Marisa glanced at her Pokémon. She could use Vaporeon, but she would have to spend a lot of time in the water and it was a lot way to the Island. Her mind drifted to the Pokémon she had with Professor Oak. She did not really have any water Pokémon other than Vaporeon and her flying was limited to Pidgeotto. She really needed to do some more catching.

"What are you after?"

"I thought that was obvious. I'm offering you a ride, but only if you stay here and wait for me."

"Why? Didn't you just say that you've been avoiding me?" Marisa crossed her arms over her chest.

Blake walked toward her and stopped within a foot of her. "That's right, I was, but I also thought you hated me and were never going to forgive me." He leaned forward, so that he was close to her face. He was surprised that she did not back away from his advances. "I want a chance to change your opinion of me. Will you give me that?"

Marisa took a deep breath, but did not move away. "There are many women out there… why me?"

A smile graced Blake's face. "I've been asking myself that same question since I met you," he told her honestly. "For now… let's just say, you interest me."

Marisa knew it was more than that. If he felt even half of what she felt when they touched, then it would have to be more than that, but for now, she would not push it. "Hurry back and might consider your offer," she replied before turning away and walking over to her Pokémon.

Blake smiled and took great joy in getting through that without a black eye or red handprint. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

* * *

**Next Chapter: Traveling with Blake.**


	17. Decision! Set Forth for Seafoam!

**A/N: I was going to get this chapter up Saturday, but got distracted due to training my team on Pokémon Black and watching Saiyuki. Two more days worth of finals and then I should be able to get new chapters up faster… well, that's the hope anyway. We'll see what happens. This was going to be up yesterday, but the site wasn't letting me upload.  
**

**Special thanks goes out to the reviewers!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.**

* * *

First to Victory: Chapter 17

"Dratini, Thunderbolt!" Marisa ordered. Electric energies surged from the Dragon Pokémon toward its target. "Umbreon, dodge!" Umbreon leaped out of the way of the electric attack. "Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf at Dratini. Umbreon, Shadow Ball at Bulbasaur."

Marisa was quite pleased with the progress all of her Pokémon had made in the hour plus that she had been training with them. Bulbasaur and Dratini were dodging almost as well as Umbreon, and seemed to be learning from training with the older Pokémon. It was a good sign. They were the youngest members of her team and had not had much battle experience, so they needed to learn.

"Let's take a break," Marisa called out after issuing a few more attacks and watching her Pokémon dodge with ease.

"Your Pokémon are getting stronger." Marisa did not look back to see the speaker. She did not need to. She had seen Aipom run off and made the assumption that Blake had returned.

"How long have you been watching?" Marisa asked as she got out some Pokémon food from her pack. She already knew the answer… at least if Aipom had indicated the time at all.

"Not long. I'm glad to see that you didn't leave."

Leave. The thought had not even entered her mind and she suspected that Blake had known that it had not. He could have been lying to her about the port being closed. She had not checked, after all and yet, she had chosen to believe him, which, in this case, was the equivalent of saying, "yes, I want to travel with you." Yet… if Blake was in a normal mindset, he would probably take it at a much different meaning, but he was not himself… right?

Marisa said nothing and went on with her task of feeding her Pokémon. She could feel Blake's eyes on her, watching her. She wondered how upset he had really been earlier that day. It had seemed to her that he had recovered quite quickly after she had forgiven him. Almost too quickly and now she had silently agreed to travel with him. The trust she had developed toward him seemed to have not suffered at all from his actions. A frightening feeling to be sure. Naturally, she chose not to trust people. Not surprising considering her experiences with Team Rocket, but Blake seemed to slip past all of her barriers. To add to everything, she was not sure what Pokémon he had that could carry them both. He had not offered a name and she had not asked, but she had good reason to suspect that it would not leave her with much personal space. That thought made her a bit uneasy.

"When do you want to leave?" His question took Marisa by surprise and she mentally ridiculed herself for being lost in thought.

"Huh?" she stupidly replied.

Blake laughed. "What were you thinking about?" he asked moving to her side. Marisa found herself looking at him against her better judgment. He had changed his clothes from earlier, which made sense since they were soaked from Vaporeon's water gun. He now dressed in a while t-shirt and black swim trunks. Clearly they were going to be traveling through the water… either that or he was worried she would use Water Gun on him again. Blake had also lost the shadow that covered the lower part of his face as well as the dirt in his hair. His smell was that of calming lavender, which called her to come close, while at the same time left her wondering why he would use lavender.

Marisa felt her face heat up as she realized how close they were. Not even a foot separated them. Quickly, she turned away. "Nothing important," she replied before standing up. It took a great deal of control to remain steady. Why was she letting him affect her so much?

Blake rose with her as Aipom leaped onto his shoulder. "Then why don't you answer my question?"

"Which question?"

"When do you want to leave?" He repeated unable to hide the amusement in his voice.

"Are you in a hurry?" she asked while looking at her Pokémon so that she did not have to look at the handsome man beside her.

"Not really. I'll take as much time as I can get with you."

Marisa did not miss the flirting. Her doubt about whether he was back to his usual self left. He was definitely back to normal. Maybe there were some slight changes, but for the most part, he was the same. How the man had managed to change back so quickly was a mystery to her. Either he had been acting before or… well, she was not sure what to put after the 'or'. The acting was hard to believe though. Cassandra had mentioned his change of mood. For what purpose would he have acted that way in front of Cassandra? He could not have known that she would meet up with the other female. Unless, of course, the whole thing had been set up in advanced, but she could not see Blake doing that much advanced planning.

"Why are you heading to Cinnabar Island? Cassandra told me that you've earned all your badges."

"If Cassandra told you that, I'm afraid to ask what else she might have said," Blake remarked as he walked out toward the water. "I'm not going to Cinnabar Island, not exactly anyway. My destination is the Seafoam Islands that lie between here and Cinnabar. I was told that I might be able to catch a glimpse of the Legendary Pokémon Articuno there and that it might be a good place to train before I head back to Johto."

"You're heading back to Johto?" Marisa did not know why the thought of him leaving stood out more than anything else he said.

"Right now, that's my plan," he replied. "The League competition is still months off, so I was thinking about heading back to New Bark Town and doing my training there. It would make it easier to work with all my Pokémon."

Marisa could understand that. Once she earned her last two badges, she was going to remain in Pallet Town for training, if she could. She suspected things would get messy soon, which led to the question of whether she should be rushing to the next gym, or doing more training. Perhaps Blake had the right idea about spending some time on the Islands.

Blake turned and looked at her. "If you are upset with me leaving, you could come with," he commented in a teasing tone.

"Why would you think I would want to spend any more time with you then I absolutely have to?" Marisa snapped back. She did not mean to be harsh. It had just come out that way.

The male trainer laughed. "Maybe because you stuck around when you could have left and waited for the ferries to start running again?"

He was right. Marisa hated to admit it, but he was right. A part of her wanted to spend time with him and that part had won out. If she hated him and really wanted to be nowhere near him, then nothing would have kept her from walking away. Even the offer of a faster means of getting to Cinnabar would not have kept her around.

"I still could," she replied finally looking straight at him. "Don't look into this too deeply."

"Then perhaps we should leave before I give you a reason to change your mind?" He remarked as he gave her one of his smiles. Oh, how she loved and hated that smile. "However," he added. "You may want to change into something a little more water friendly."

Marisa noted how Blake's eyes lit up as he said the last part. She knew exactly what he was expecting. He wanted her to run off and put on some skimpy little two piece swimsuit that barely covered her body. Sadly, she did have one of those, but it was not something she would ever wear around a male like Blake. Plus, she only bought it in case she needed to use sex appeal for one reason or another. He was right about changing though. Jeans and water were not a very good combination.

"Just how wet will we get on this ride of yours," the female trainer asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Would you like to see it?" Blake said while reaching for a Pokeball. Marisa just nodded in response. "Well, then… Lapras, come on out!" The Pokeball opened over the water. Sparkles surrounded the Pokémon as it appeared.

Marisa was shocked by what she saw. Lapras were not extremely rare in the Kanto region and she had been fortunate to have seen a group of them in the past, so it had nothing to do with the Pokémon itself. What shocked Marisa was the color. It was not the usual blue color one expected from a Lapras. Blake's Lapras was purple where it should have been blue.

"What do you think?" Blake asked with his trademark smile on his face. He was clearly very proud of his Pokémon.

Marisa swallowed before she spoke. "What female did you steal that from?" she remarked not wanting Blake to know that she was a bit impressed that he caught such a rare Pokémon. She knew about odd colored Pokémon. Ash kept a Noctowl at the lab that was smaller than other Noctowl and was a different color. She had found that out by reading some notes the Professor had made. When those odd colored Pokémon exited their balls, they also sparkled, which led people to give them the name of shiny Pokémon.

Blake laughed as he walked over to his Pokémon. "I'm not a thief," he replied as he stroked Lapras' nose. "There's this cave… Union Cave. Don't know why it's called that, but it is located outside of Azalea Town. Anyway, I was exploring the cave and heard what sounded like crying. Did some exploring and found Lapras all alone in a pool of water."

"Hmm… well, I thought you would have something smaller to ride on. If we're taking Lapras, there's not much need to change."

Blake blinked a few times before frowning. Clearly he was disappointed by his choice to reveal Lapras to her. Marisa gave a slight smile before picking up her bag and jacket. "I'll be back in a few," she told him. Umbreon quickly followed her, but the rest of her Pokemon continued to eat. She knew the Moonlight Pokemon would. He had taken it upon himself to become her bodyguard and was frequently escaping the ball to watch for trouble. Marisa was quite thankful for it.

* * *

Blake followed Marisa with his eyes and she walked off. Clearly she was coming back. If she was not, then she would have taken more than just Umbreon with her. Most likely, she had gone off to change. Even on a Pokémon such as Lapras, one still got wet. Still, Blake wanted to go with her. If he was truly honest with himself, he was jealous of Umbreon. He could only imagine what the Moonlight Pokémon was seeing at that moment.

Blake had long since given up trying to censor his thoughts when it came to the female trainer. It was one of the reasons he had been avoiding her. He could not help himself. After all, he was a healthy male and there was a beautiful female in his presence… it made sense to not have completely pure thoughts. However, he was determined not to let Marisa know about them… even though he suspected she already did. The quick change in his moods probably told her a lot. Having her forgive him had made him happier than he had been in a while. So happy, in fact, that he had already slipped back into his usual routine when around females.

However, he did not want to be like that around Marisa. She was different then his usual women. The first difference being that he was not trying to get free food off of her. Contrary to what people believed, he did not sleep around with woman regularly. He just sweet talked them and got some free stuff. Sometimes he went a little further like a kiss, but for the most part, he had it easy. Of course, now he regretted such things. He wanted a relationship with Marisa. The issue was that he did not know how to go about getting it.

Blake looked over at Marisa's Pokémon. He had seen her with most of the Pokémon there. Unlike him, she seemed to keep the same team, though he could not say for sure. He did find it interesting that she had two different evolved forms of Eevee in her team. Eevee was not exactly an easy Pokémon to find and most trainers only tended to have one, yet she had two. Even more interesting was Umbreon's behavior when it came to Marisa.

"Trying to analysis my team?" Blake jumped slightly as the voice broke into his thoughts. Quickly he turned his head. Marisa stood within a few feet of him. She had changed into a red, one piece swimsuit. Over the top of it, she had on an open, button down, navy blue shirt and on the bottom, she wore a pair of loose fitting jean shorts. Blake quickly found himself at a loss for words. He had hoped that she would wear a sexy two piece suit and nothing else, but what she was wearing now, stunned him and forced him to suppress some inappropriate urges.

Marisa let out a small laugh as she recalled her Pokémon in to their balls. "You can stop undressing me now, Mr. Pervert."

Blake felt his face heat up and he quickly turned away. "I was doing no such thing," he quickly denied. Marisa laughed at him again. Clearly, she did not believe him.

"Umbreon and I decided that we would like to go to Seafoam Island with you." Blake turned around and stared at her doubting his ears. She wanted to spend _more _time with him? "The league is still far off and we could use the training. Do you mind?"

"Of… of course you can come," he barely managed to say. Blake now understood what it felt like to think that you were dreaming while awake. He was practically in heaven from the happiness he felt. Marisa had forgiven him, agreed to let him transport her across the water, and she wanted to go with him to Seafoam Island.

"Good," she replied walking over to Lapras. Blake watched as she stroked the water Pokémon on the nose. "Shall we get going then?"

Blake nodded and recalled Aipom. He did not need the monkey getting in his way… not that he suspected that it would. After that, he climbed on top of Lapras and held out his hand for Marisa. He at least wanted to try to be a gentleman even if his mind had better ideas. She grabbed his hand and he began to wish she would never let go. Carefully, he pulled her up.

"Find a place to get comfortable," he told her as he released her hand. She was practically in his arms.

Marisa quickly looked away and he was sure that her face was red. A smile broke out across his face. She was not completely unaffected by his presence, but he had already figured that one out.

"Marisa," he said causing her to look at him once more. Slowly, he brought his hand to her cheek and gently moved it across. "Thank you," he whispered before dropping his hand and turning away. It was enough that she had not pushed him way.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Seafoam Island**

**A/N: Wow, no Pokémon battles again… That's like two chapters in a row. Anyway, hard chapter to write. This wasn't exactly in the plans, so I have to go rework my outline again. Hope you enjoyed it.**


	18. Double Battle! Viridian's Secret!

**A/N: No, I am not dead and neither is the story. A lot has happened. First, my netbook's motherboard died and it took almost a month for the computer techs to figure out that that was wrong. Then, my desktop decided that it was going to blue screen every few minutes (still trying to get that one fixed). This was followed by one disaster after another. The house is getting remodeled and a power surge blew almost all the video game systems (except the NES) among other things, I had to help people move… summer was a busy time for me and now I'm back in school (with teachers that want to bury me in books).**

**This chapter probably would have been up much sooner, but the battle scene was… well, I was having issues with it. I can't promise when I'll get the next chapter up, but the story isn't over yet. If anyone has suggestions for future chapters, let me know. I've got a fairly good idea when I'm going from here, but my mind likes to jump around.**

**So, sorry for the long delay and I hope this is worth the wait.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

* * *

First to Victory: Chapter 18

"How many Pokemon do you have?" Marisa asked not looking over at her companion. She had chosen to sit near Lapras' tail while Blake was by its head. It was as far apart as they could get on the Pokemon, but if they reached back just right, they would still touch. Marisa found herself greatly uncomfortable by it and the silence only made her think about it more.

"Hmm… not sure… Probably 50 to 100… maybe more," he replied slowly. "I like to keep a good variety around." Marisa could hear him move and knew he had turned around to watch her. "You seem to keep the same ones."

"Why change what works?" she casually replied as she turned around. Immediately, she wished she had not. Blake was watching her just as she thought, but the reflection from the water made it seem like he was glowing as he casually lay against Lapras' head. Marisa felt her heart start to pound. Being alone with Blake was beginning to seem like a very bad idea, not that it ever came across as being good one.

"It's a good day to be out on the water," Blake remarked looking up toward the sky. Rather than responding to her comment, he had changed the subject. For what reason, Marisa could not be sure.

"Yes it is," Marisa agreed turning her head away to look in the water. She could see the shapes of water Pokemon swimming by. Even as she watched the Pokemon, her mind was wandering to the man beside her. Something had changed between them… or at least in her. His actions, his presence… he was affecting her far more than he had before. Before, she had been able to resist him and now… Marisa did not like the feelings that were coming to the surface. She had other things that she needed to deal with and those things did not include the handsome man near her.

Marisa could not accurately say what happened next… all she knew was that she was now spitting water out of her mouth and Blake was doing the same. "Lapras!" Blake called out as he moved to Marisa's side. Lapras let out a sorrow-filled cry.

"Is Lapras always like this?" Marisa asked grabbing her bag so that it did not float away.

"No," Blake replied doing the same. "Something surprised it…"

"That would be us," a voice broke in. Marisa and Blake looked toward the voice. There were two people floating in the water, one male and one female. Both had on blue swim caps, blue swimsuits, blue goggles, and Marisa thought they were over doing the whole blue thing.

As if on cue, a Tentacruel appeared in front of the pair. Its eyes were narrowed into a glare showing that it was clearly looking for a fight. Marisa did not even need to guess that this Pokémon was responsible for causing Lapras to throw them in the water.

"You two are Pokémon trainers, right?" the female asked eying them like they were hardly worth her time.

Marisa tossed her bag back onto Lapras. "That's right," she replied shooting the female a glare.

"Then we challenge you to a battle. Right here and right now," the female said pulling out a Pokeball. "Unless you're scared…"

"Scared? Hardly," Marisa shot back. If she wanted a water Pokémon battle, she would get it. Marisa really did not like her and they had only just met.

"Then a double battle it will be. You two versus us," the male swimmer trainer said. "My Pokémon is Tentacruel."

"And I will use my beautiful, Kingdra," the female said tossing the ball she had taken out. The blue Pokemon was shaped like a sea horse with beautiful fins and shiny scales and a long snout.

"You can stay back," Marisa quickly told Blake. "No need to risk Lapras getting hurt."

"Lapras isn't the only water Pokémon I have with me," Blake replied. The amusement in his voice showed that he had clearly been enjoying the show so far. "Let's play by their terms." Before Marisa could reply, Blake tossed out a pokeball. "Come on out, Lanturn!"

A Pokémon Marisa was not familiar with came out. It was blue with two yellow balls at the end of an antenna that split near the middle. Marisa could only assume that it was a Pokémon Blake had caught in Johto. She would look it up on her Pokedex later.

"As you wish." Marisa selected her own Pokémon. She had two choices for the battle and she knew exactly who to use. "Dratini!" she called out releasing her Pokémon. The dragon Pokémon happily came out and looked around. Marisa had never used it for an actual battle, but it seemed like a good idea now. Blake was a strong trainer and she had no doubt that Lanturn would reflect that strength. Fighting alongside Lanturn would help Dratini grow stronger and there was another part. The other trainer had brought out a Kingdra. Kingdra just happened to be part dragon, which gave Dratini both an advantage and a disadvantage, but the battle would be good experience no matter what happened. Of course, she had no intention of losing.

"Hmm… interesting choice. I thought you would go with Vaporeon," Blake commented low enough so that only Marisa could hear. "But this might work better."

Marisa chose not to reply and looked at the other two trainers. "Shall we start?"

"It's about time," the female replied. "Kingdra, Smokescreen!" A cloud of smoke filled the battlefield.

"Dratini, Twister!" The dragon Pokemon whipped its head around and sent out a powerful twister to clear the smoke away.

"Constrict!" Tentacruel launched its tentacles toward Dratini. The pair had clearly been waiting for the counter attack.

"Protect!" Lanturn jumped in front of Dratini with a green colored light surrounding it. The tentacles bounced off of Lanturn.

"Quickly, use Thunderbolt on Tentacruel!" Dratini leapt out of the water and sent a blinding electric attack toward the distracted Tentacruel.

"Bubblebeam!" A stream of bubbles flew out from Kingdra and swirled around Tentacruel cutting down the strength of the thunderbolt, but still left the Pokemon slightly stunned.

"Use Ice Beam on Kingdra!" Lanturn turned quickly and shot a light blue beam at the other Pokemon.

"Dive underwater!" Kingdra dove underwater and barely missed the icy blast, which froze the water where it was once swimming.

The ice platform gave Marisa an idea. "Dratini, get on the ice!" The dragon Pokemon leapt onto the ice as quickly as it could.

Blake smirked as he picked up on Marisa's thought. "Lanturn, use Spark on Tentacruel!" A surge of electricity went toward Tentacruel.

"Tentacruel, Dive!"

"Kingdra, Twister!" Kingdra popped up out of the water and sent a powerful twister attack toward Lanturn.

"Thunderbolt!" Marisa ordered. Dratini sent the electric attack at Kingdra this time.

"Dive and use Spark underwater!" Lanturn dove underwater and soon the electricity was flashing through the air and sea. Kingdra could not move as both attacks struck it. The Pokemon fell over as the light faded.

"No, Kingdra!" The female trainer called out pulling out her Pokemon's ball. It was not hard to tell that the Pokemon was not going to get back up. "Return!" With tears in her eyes, the trainer looked at the Pokeball.

"That's not all," Marisa said as she pointed over to a shadow. Slowly surfacing was the unconscious form of the male trainer's Tentacruel.

"Ah! Tentacruel!" The male swam over to his Pokemon.

Dratini jumped into the water and swam over to Marisa, while Lanturn surfaced next to Blake. Both Pokemon knew the battle was over. "Looks like we won this battle," Blake remarked stroking Lanturn.

"This isn't over," the male trainer called out as he recalled Tentacruel. "We'll get you back for this."

"You would be better off getting those two Pokemon to the nearest Center," Marisa commented as she gave Dratini a hug. "Good job," she quickly told it. Dratini cried out happily.

"Let's go," Blake said recalling Lanturn. "We don't need to keep dealing with these two." Marisa nodded and moved to get on Lapras.

"Don't you dare ignore us!" The female trainer called out getting out another Pokeball. "Go-"

"Ice Beam!" A blue beam shot out from Lapras' mouth freezing the Pokeball to the female's hand. "The battle is over, give it up," Blake told her.

Marisa climbed onto Lapras before recalling Dratini. Blake soon joined her. "You two really need to find another hobby," Marisa told them. Blake patted Lapras and soon they were off again leaving the two water trainers behind.

* * *

"Was that Dratini's first battle?" Blake asked once they were a good distance from the other trainers.

"Yeah," Marisa replied choosing not to look at her companion. The battle had temporarily made her forget that she was traveling alone with Blake. "Dratini has battled wild Pokemon, but never one that a trainer has."

"It looked good. Dratini is going to get really strong. That's what I think anyway," Blake remarked turning to look at Marisa. He did not care if she chose not to turn around. Her back was nice too, especially with water running down it and her shirt stuck to it.

"That Pokemon you used, Lanturn, right?" Marisa asked slowly as she reached into her pack for her Pokedex.

"Right," the male trainer replied. "I caught it back when it was a Chinchou. I was casually fishing around New Bark Town. Just hanging out really. I didn't expect to catch anything."

Marisa flipped open her Pokedex.

_"Lanturn, the Light Pokémon and the evolved form of Chinchou. Lanturn's antennae light is strong enough to penetrate the ocean and any seam of the water's surface."_

"A Pokemon that is both electric and water… not too many of those around," the female remarked putting the Pokedex away.

Blake just smiled. "You know, we made a pretty good team."

Marisa finally turned to look at Blake. She was quickly reminded of the earlier incident with Vaporeon and found herself blushing again. While Blake had not taken his shirt off like before, he was wearing a white shirt and it left very little to the imagination… not that she needed that to know what he looked like shirtless.

"I don't think so," Marisa answered back slowly.

"You don't?" Blake leaned forward. "I do. We were very much in sync for that battle. We communicated without words."

Marisa turned away. "That doesn't mean anything. Anyone could have picked up on the strategy during that battle, well, except for those two we battled."

Blake laughed. "You can be really stubborn." The male trainer leaned back against Lapras' head. "Back at Mt. Moon, I told you the same thing. I hardly knew you then and I still thought we worked well together."

"You were probably just flirting." Marisa refused to look at him. She knew he was right. They did make a good team. They always had. Probably part of the reason she felt such a strong attraction to him. It was safer for him to just leave her alone though. Team Rocket could show up at anytime. A sudden thought struck her. "Hey, you got a Viridian Gym Badge, right?"

Blake was taken aback by the comment, which involved a sudden topic change. "Huh?"

"You beat the Viridian Gym Leader at the Expo, right?" Marisa asked once more.

"Uh, yeah, I did, why?"

"What did he look like?" Blake had knowledge that she needed. There were two gyms left and she knew one thing. Benett had been at the Expo with a Team Rocket Executive posing as a Gym Leader and she knew the Executive well enough that if Blake described him, she would know.

"You want to know what the Gym Leader looked like? Not what Pokemon he used?" Blake was a bit surprised by the question.

"It's important." Marisa turned back to him.

Blake stared at her for a moment. "Does this have something to do with Team Rocket?"

Marisa hesitated. "…yeah…"

"Well, I really don't remember much about the Gym Leader," he replied. "I'm not in a habit of remembering males, but… there was something familiar about that Leader."

"Familiar?"

"Yeah, like I had met him before. I think it was his voice that struck me the most. Deep and rough," Blake replied slowly while trying to remember what he could. "He was big, but also older… uh… I think he had some grey hair."

"Did he use a Nidoking?" Marisa asked quickly.

Blake shook his head. "No, he used Golem. Do you know him?"

Marisa looked down. She was not sure if she knew him or not. The only Pokemon she had ever seen him use was Nidoking, even though she was well aware that he had others. She had not been in any sort of position to handle his Pokemon.

"I don't suppose you would be willing to explain," Blake inquired slightly saddened by the fact that he could do nothing for her. He did not know what was going on, so how could he do anything?

The female trainer took a deep breath. Blake deserved to know something. "Back at the Expo, Benett said that he was there with his Executive," Marisa began. "He said the Executive was there as a Gym Leader. That Gym is not going to be one I can easily walk into."

"More like walk out of…" Blake added. "Well, Cinnabar's Gym Leader was bald. Does that help any?"

Marisa kept her head down and began to mumble. "So, Viridian… Team Rocket controls Viridian's Gym… just as I thought."

Blake watched in silence. He really wanted to know everything. He could see the thoughts moving in and out just by watching her. Obviously, the issue was very big. He knew that they were after her for taking a few Pokemon, but now he was sure there was more to it and he suspected that there were people she trusted with that information. What he wanted was to be one of those people.

A cry from Lapras broke into Blake's thoughts. The male trainer turned to check on his Pokemon. Lapras thrashed its head back and forth a bit. Blake stroked the Pokemon. "What's wrong?" The Pokemon tossed its head straight.

Blake was slightly confused, but moved to look in front. Seafoam Islands were right in front of them, but there was more. He could see boats and people dressed in black getting out of them. "Hey, Marisa, looks like there is something happening."

Marisa broke from her own thoughts and followed Blake's eyes. "That looks like… Team Rocket," she replied slowly. "There aren't many groups that would go around in all black."

"Lapras, avoid those boats," Blake told his Pokemon before looking at Marisa. "What do you want to do?"

Marisa hesitated. She really was not sure. Clearly Team Rocket was up to something, but there was a chance that she could get caught, and yet… she wanted to go. Innocent Pokemon were in trouble and she could not just sit by and do nothing. The female trainer pointed to a rocky formation. There were no boats around it. "Have Lapras take us there." She did not know what was going on or who was there, but there was one thing Marisa was sure of. Team Rocket had to be stopped.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Team Rocket**

**A/N: Once again sorry for the delay and because I have been playing way too much Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, I have a question for the readers (if I still have any after that delay).**

_**Question:**_

**If you were turned into a Pokemon, who would you be? Who would you turn Marisa and Blake into?**


	19. Save Seafoam Islands!

**A/N: On the plus side, this chapter came out faster than the previous one. Down side, it's on the short end. I did do that on purpose though. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

* * *

First to Victory: Chapter 19

"Executive Lilinia, out team at Fuchsia City reported seeing a lone Lapras with trainers heading in this direction. They say one of them looks like the deserter, Marisa Talis," a grunt quickly reported to the attractive Executive. Lilinia was one of the few females to reach the high ranks and she had no problem using her body to get it done. Her bright red head carefully framed her face bringing out her deep blue eyes. A white tank top that only reached her midriff was resting under her black jacket. On the jacket was the red R of the organization. Her low region was barely covered by a short black skirt and slick black boots, with a one inch heel, ran up to her knees.

Lilinia put a red painted nail up to her bright lips as she listened to the report. "Marisa Talis… so, the rumors that she has resurfaced may yet be true…" A smile graced the Executive's face. "Have all men watch for her. If she is around, I want her captured."

* * *

"This is bad. They have a major operation going on here," Marisa remarked looking around the rock structure they had taken cover behind. She could see a number of Grunts as well as more boats than she cared to count.

"Could they be after Articuno?" Blake asked looking around as well. People were always after legendary Pokemon. He did not need to know much about the organization to suspect that.

Marisa sat back. "Whatever they are after, the two of us might not be enough." The female trainer went through her bag and pulled out her Pokegear. She messed with it for a bit before putting it back down. "This isn't good. There is no signal here."

Blake pulled his own out and checked. Marisa had been right. The Pokegears were useless as far as phones went. The map was still accessible, but that did not do them much good.

"Take Lapras and let Officer Jenny know," Marisa quickly told the other trainer before looking back over the rock and the enemies.

Blake looked at her like she had lost her mind. "What?"

"Go and get help," she repeated not bothering to look at him.

"No," he replied flatly. "I refuse to go off and leave you here alone."

"I'll be fi-"

"No, I'm staying with you. Think of another way to get word out." Blake was not going to budge and Marisa quickly realized that. The male trainer was determined to stay at her side for this, which was something Marisa was not all that fond about, but what could she do to stop him?

Marisa sighed aloud. Fortunately, she already had a backup idea. The female trainer went back to her bag and pulled out a plastic bag. Inside was a notebook and pen.

"What are you doing?" Blake asked glad to see that she was not telling him to leave again.

"Since you won't go, we'll have to improvise," she said taking the pen and notebook. She was thankful that they had remained dry. "I'll send Pidgeotto with a note."

"Good idea, but will it work?" Blake said wondering how he would react if a random Pokemon came up to him with a note.

"You're right… and the police were busy with the port… they might not come…"

For once, Blake did not want to be right. It was important that they let someone know what was going on. Even if they were able to stop whatever was occurring, the criminals would just get away and go back to causing trouble. There had to be a way to make sure help arrived. "What about a gym leader?" he suggested.

The suggestion put a thought into Marisa's head. "Wait, Cassandra! I only left her this morning. She's probably still around Fuchsia City."

Blake nodded. "Cassandra does have quit e a bit of influence."

Marisa quickly wrote a note. "Not just that. She can contact Lance."

Blake's eyebrow twitched in anger. He knew that there was nothing romantic going on between Marisa and the Dragon Master, but it did not mean he liked him. It also stung a bit. Marisa had wanted him to go away, but apparently Lance was perfectly fine.

Marisa put a hand on Blake's shoulder. "Lance is in charge of all things concerning Team Rocket. If anyone is going to get us help, it's him," she explained though she had no idea why she felt the need to do so. The female gave him a light smile before reaching to her belt and grabbing Pidgeotto's Pokeball.

Blake watched her wordlessly with one thought in mind. If Lance was in charge of Team Rocket investigations, just how much of Marisa's past did he know? Even now, Marisa had only told him fragmented information and he was about to fight with her against them. What would it take for her to completely open up to him?

Marisa released Pidgeotto. Pidgeotto chirped happily as it usually did. Marisa smiled at her Pokemon. "Pidgeotto, I have an important task for you." The bird Pokemon looked at its trainer like it was really listening to her. "I need you to find Cassandra and give this to her." Marisa held up the note she had written. "Can you do that?" The bird Pokemon responded happily and let Marisa tie the note to its leg. "We're counting on you." Marisa pointed in the direction of Fuchsia City and Pidgeotto took off.

"Do you think Pidgeotto will be able to handle it on its own?" Blake asked watching the bird fly away.

"I hope so. We don't have many options unless you have a flying type with you," Marisa replied as she put her stuff away.

"Unfortunately, I don't. This was a training trip," he replied thinking about the Pokemon he brought with him. "Aipom, Lapras, Lanturn, Tyrogue, Larvitar, and Typhlosion. Skarmory is my main flying Pokemon and I didn't think I needed him."

Marisa thought briefly about the Pokemon Blake mentioned. She actually knew them all even though she met three of them that very day. "We should probably keep at least one Pokemon out each," Marisa replied reaching for a Pokeball. Umbreon tended to become fierce when Team Rocket was around, so he was out for the moment. She needed a more level headed Pokemon. The female selected a Pokemon and released it.

"Arcanine?" Blake questioned upon seeing the Pokemon.

"Is that a problem?" Marisa shot back.

Blake shrugged and pulled out his own Pokemon. "Just means we'll both have fire types out," he replied letting Typhlosion out. The thought had not even been considered in Marisa's head. Of course Blake would choose Typhlosion. He had told her that he was here for training and though he had never told her directly, Marisa was sure that the fire Pokemon had been his starter.

"Not much I can do about it," she replied stroking Arcanine. "Out of all my Pokemon, Arcanine keeps the most level head. Besides, if we need to, Arcanine can carry us."

Blake nodded knowing that she was right. It was a practical choice. "So, now what? I hope you aren't going to suggest charging right in."

"We need to find out what they are doing without them finding us. Simple in theory. There are a lot of rocks to use for cover," Marisa replied looking around.

"But there are also a lot of them," Blake commented. "Why don't we try stealing uniforms?"

"That stuff only works in movies," Marisa replied. "I doubt they would just leave unused uniforms sitting around for us to grab."

"I'm thinking the other method," the male trainer answered. "The one where we knock a couple of them out and removed the uniforms from them."

Marisa blinked as she looked at him. "Are you serious?"

The male trainer smiled in reply. "Fairly. Look, they could be deep in the island. There are clearly a lot of caves here. While the outside has plenty of cover, we have no idea how much we'll have inside. Disguises would make things much easy."

"But also more dangerous. If someone realized that we weren't members…"

"We could always just wait around for help."

Marisa looked away. Blake was right. They could just wait. That was the safest option, but if Team Rocket was doing something really big, waiting could be a detriment. Sneaking in or stealing uniforms… both carried risks. Truthfully, she did not want to go anywhere near a Team Rocket uniform, but she also did not want to stand by and do nothing. The choice was hers.

"Do you really think we can get uniforms?" She asked without looking at her companion.

Blake smiled. "I have an idea."

* * *

"Have you found her yet?" Lilinia wailed.

The grunts cringed. "N-not yet…" one grunt stuttered.

"Look harder! How hard can it be to find a lone Lapras! Get out there!"

The grunts ran into each other as they fled down the passage. They could not get away from the Executive fast enough.

"My… why so determined?" A male walked into the room. He wore the black uniform the grunts did, but left off the hat, so that his long blue hair was clearly visible.

"Think about the recognition we'll get if we bring that girl in. That would sure show that slime, Maxwell," the Executive chuckled. "Simon, get out there and help them. Don't let her get away."

The male flicked back his hair. "It shall be done."

* * *

**Next Chapter: Team Rocket Confrontation**

**A/N: I've got nothing to say down here. I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can manage.**


	20. Execute Blake's Plan!

**A/N: Surprise! I didn't feel like doing homework, so I spent the day writing. Now I'll have to do my work, but at least you all can enjoy another chapter in the meantime.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

* * *

First to Victory: Chapter 20

Marisa sighed as Blake finished explaining his plan. It was crazy. Really crazy and she could not see how it could possibly work, but he was determined to do it. What was the worst that could happen? Oh, that was easy, they could get caught and that would lead to a whole lot of mess.

"It will work. Trust me," he told her confidently. Something about the way his eyes looked make Marisa want to believe in him. There was always that chance it could work and it was better than any plan she had come up with.

"Fine, but it better work," she conceded almost regretting it the moment it left her mouth.

"It will. Just get Bulbasaur ready," he told her as he released Lanturn, Aipom and Larvitar. The group huddled together as he told them what they needed to do. The Pokemon were essential to making the plan a success, so there could be no mess ups.

Marisa tossed out Bulbasaur's Pokeball. She bent down beside the Pokemon and told it what she needed it to do. Bulbasaur had an easy job compared to the others. Marisa just hoped the young Pokemon would be able to handle it. If anything went wrong, however, Typhlosion and Arcanine were still out and more than ready for a fight. The two fire Pokemon were watching everything though Typhlosion looked like he was used to Blake's plans. He had a look of boredom on his face. At least Marisa thought it looked that way. She did not know Typhlosion well enough to truly read its expressions.

"All set," Blake said putting his hat on Aipom's head. "You ready to go?"

Marisa looked around at all the Pokemon. They certainly had enough of them ready for use. There was still the question of how Blake's plan could possibly work flawlessly, but there was no point in continuing to question the whole thing. She was better off letting Blake do his thing.

"Yeah, I'm ready." Blake sent her one of his trademark smiles before moving over to look over the rocks with Aipom, while Marisa was reminded why being around Blake was a bad thing.

Blake gave a signal with his arm and Aipom ran out toward the boats. Marisa moved to watch. The monkey Pokemon moved with ease as it removed the rope holding one of the boats to the shore. None of the grunts seemed to notice a thing.

Aipom jumped into the released boat and started it up. Now the grunts noticed the Pokemon, but the direction of the sun kept them from realizing it was a Pokemon. "Who's that kid?" "After him!" The grunts scrambled to the other boats as Aipom put the boat in gear and sped away into the sea. Team Rocket soon followed leaving only two grunts behind just as Blake had predicted. With a cue from Blake, Lanturn swam away in Aipom's direction.

Blake looked over at Marisa. "Your turn," he told her confidently.

Marisa did not know what to think. Aipom knew how to drive a boat just as Blake had told her, which opened up a slew of questions she would ask him when they were not trying to do some harm to Team Rocket. The female looked over a Bulbasaur. "Okay, use Leech Seed like we talked about."

Bulbasaur moved over the rocks. The remaining grunts were distracted. They were watching for their fellow Team Rocket members and had their backs to the rocks Blake and Marisa were using as cover. This gave Bulbasaur plenty of time to aim its bulb at them and shoot a couple of quick Leech Seed attacks. The attacks struck. The grunts made garbled sounds before falling to the ground unconscious.

Blake and Marisa quickly ran out and grabbed the unconscious grunts and quickly dragged them behind the rocks. "I told you it would work," Blake replied as he began removing the uniform from his grunt. "Larvitar, do your stuff."

Marisa began undressing her grunt while Larvitar dug a hole. So far the plan had worked just as Blake had said it would. Aipom lured the majority of the grunts away and the remaining ones became useless as a result of Bulbasaur's Leech Seed. Then, while they stole the uniforms, Larvitar created a hole to put the grunts in, so that others would not find them as easily. Lanturn had gone off to bring Aipom back and cause some kind of delay in the return of the other grunts. However, there was one thing that might cause a problem. Both grunts were male.

The female trainer sighed as she finished removing the uniform. Blake was in the process of putting his grunt in the hole. Larvitar had made the hole deep enough so that they could safely fill in the hole, but keep the grunts' heads above land.

"Looks like Lanturn and Aipom are back," the male remarked as the two Pokemon approached the hiding spot. Aipom leapt over to Blake happily. The male smiled at the Monkey before grabbing his wet hat.

Marisa dragged her grunt over and dropped him into the hole. Larvitar happily filled in the hole. "If they wake up, they will scream, you know," Marisa said as she began putting on the uniform. It was baggy in the right places, so it would safely hide her female figure.

"Hmm…" Blake thought for a moment. "Oh, I know. Lanturn, cover their mouths with ice. Only their mouths." Lanturn gave what looked like a nod before firing a carefully controlled ice beam at the grunts. "That should give us some more time."

Marisa nodded before working on hiding her hair. She needed to find a way to pile it under the Team Rocket hat. Blake quickly put on his own uniform before returning his Pokemon to their balls. With the current plan, they would not be able to keep any Pokemon outside Pokeballs.

"What should we do with our bags?" Marisa asked with her hair successfully hidden.

Blake stared at her for a moment. "How is it you look lovely even in man's clothing?"

Marisa sighed. "How can you come up with a line like that at a time like this?"

The male trainer smiled. "It's a skill," he answered confidently. "Now, why don't we see if they left some kind of bag we can use to put our stuff in?"

Marisa nodded. She quickly recalled Bulbasaur and Arcanine before picking up her bag and following Blake out into the open. Without boats or people, all that remained were crates. The pair quickly began going through the crates. Naturally, it did not take long to find bags.

"These are filled with metal rods…" Marisa remarked looking into her bag. "Could they… be building cages?"

"Looks that way," Blake replied putting his bag into the brown bag with the rods.

Marisa did the same. "We should go. There must be something we can do to stop this." Innocent Pokemon were in trouble. No matter how much she feared facing Team Rocket, Marisa could not let those Pokemon suffer.

Blake nodded as he tossed the bag over his shoulder. While he did not know what Marisa was thinking exactly, he had a feeling they were of the same thought. Pokemon needed their help even if it was just the two of them fighting for them.

The pair began walking deeper into the rocky terrain that made up Seafoam Islands. A path had been carved out most likely leading into the cavern that encompassed all of the islands. Once inside the cavern, Pidgeotto would have a hard time finding them making it much harder for help to get to them. The further in they went, the more difficult it would become. Both knew the risks. They just had to hope the disguises worked and no one found the two buried grunts.

The path twisted and turned, but surprisingly, no other grunts passed by the pair. Unease shot through both of them as they moved closer to the cavern entrance. If the boats were being used to unload the crates of material, why were there no grunts picking up more crates and more than that, why were the boats so far away? The pace slowed as they moved closer. The disguises would be meaningless if their cover had already been blown.

"Do you notice anything odd?" Blake asked stating the obvious.

"I'm sure we are both noticing the same thing," Marisa replied glancing behind them. "Did those boats have radios?"

"Probably. I was hoping they were too stupid to use them," the male trainer admitted.

Marisa rolled her eyes. "We could be walking into a trap then." She slowed down more as that came to mind. "Should we really keep going?"

"Well, if it's a trap, at least we know it's coming."

Marisa knew why Blake was able to be so calm. He did not know Team Rocket like she did. They were dangerous and a trap is a trap.

Blake put his hand on her shoulder. "I doubt it is a trap. Look. The opening of the cavern has guards."

"If you think that makes it safe, I would hate to see how you react to unsafe."

"I'm just looking at the positive side of things. We won't know what will happen unless we try and if something does happen we have a whole island to use as cover." Blake smiled at Marisa.

Something about Blake's smile comforted Marisa rather than made her want to flee his presence. "Fine, let's do this."

Blake was showing an eerie knack for the whole situation. The guards only nodded as they walked passed them. They looked more bored than ready for a fight. If they were there to get a trap ready, they were doing a very good job at tricking them.

It was cold inside the cavern, which was expected. The inside of Seafoam Islands were known to be a habitat for ice and water Pokemon. That was why Articuno was rumor to reside within its ice depths. The reason for Team Rocket was most likely due to Articuno as Blake had mentioned early, but the pair had yet to see anything suggesting the legendary Pokemon was the primary reason.

"Where are all the Pokemon?" Blake asked as they walked through the cavern. There were no Pokemon to be seen. Not even a Magikarp jumping out of the water.

"Hopefully, they are only hiding," Marisa replied knowing that that was only wishful thinking. She nodded to another pair of grunts as they walked by.

The pair continued to walk until they got to a much larger room. Team Rocket grunts were all over the place and there was more. Cages were lined up along the walls. Stacks upon stacks of cages. Pokemon were being grabbed and forced into the cages. To make matters even worse, most of the Pokemon looked young, like just hatched from eggs, and to confirm those guesses were the groups of eggs being piled into crates. It was a horrifying sight to see.

"We need to do something," Marisa whispered, yet having no idea what they could do. They were clearly outnumbered. If they started something, most likely they would be seen right away. That left few options open to them. However, they did accomplish what they wanted to do. They now knew what Team Rocket was up to.

"Let's just go back the way we came before someone sees us," Blake replied in an equally low tone. Marisa nodded and the pair slowly turned around.

"Isn't it a beautiful sight? All those Pokemon trapped inside cages waiting for us to take them away to a distant lab." Marisa froze and glanced at the man now facing them. She kept her hat low, but was able to see him enough to recognize him. It was Simon. She frequently saw him hanging around Benett. Things were not going to go smoothly.

"Are any more cages needed?" Blake asked clearly trying to fit the role of a grunt.

"Oh, I believe a couple more may be needed… for a pair of sneaky trainers," Simon replied with a smile. Before either trainer could do anything grunts took hold of their arms and held them tight. "You didn't actually think I wouldn't see you come in, did you? I will admit… your trick in getting those uniforms was a bit surprising, but enough games." Simon pulled off Marisa's hat causing her hair to fly free. "Lady Lilinia had been expecting you, Marisa Talis."

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**Next Chapter: Oh no, Marisa and Blake are in trouble! What could possibly happen?**

**A/N: Interesting note about this chapter… I wrote it while watching the Dilbert TV show for background noise. I have no idea why that worked so well.**


	21. Escape!

**A/N: This is the end of the Seafoam Island Arc. I've planned out the next 3 chapters. How soon I get them written is up in the air. Enjoy and Happy Halloween!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

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First to Victory: Chapter 21

Marisa struggled to break out the grip of the grunts. This was what she feared most. She knew what being captured meant. It meant losing her Pokemon to Team Rocket's twisted ways. It meant losing her freedom. It meant facing her past more vividly than ever before. There was no way she would get caught.

"Struggling is useless. You are better off coming peacefully," Simon told her with a smug smirk.

"Only in your dreams," the female trainer snapped back. Just then, a flash of light came out. Team Rocket was completely unprepared for what came next. A mysterious force knocked them to the ground released Marisa and Blake. The two trainers immediately ran passed them and back into the cavern tunnels.

"After them!" They could hear the disgruntled voice of Simon as they ran. The pair did not know where they were going, but knew it had to be away from that room. They quickly noticed that there were very few grunts patrolling the actual cavern tunnels. This was most likely due to there being far too many.

The pair turned down a few more tunnels before slowing up. They could no long hear that sound of the grunts. Marisa knelt down and hugged the Dark Pokemon standing by her leg. "I have never been so glad to have you jump out of your Pokeball," she told it.

"Umbreon really saved us," Blake commented while secretly wishing he was Umbreon at that moment.

"Yeah, but what are we going to do now? We are completely lost," the female trainer said looking around. Umbreon pulled out of her arms and acted like it was sniffing the air before moving in the direction they have previously been traveling.

Blake looked at the Pokemon for a moment. "Does Umbreon know how to get out?"

Umbreon seemed to nod at Blake's question. "It looks that way," Marisa replied standing up. "No surprise really. Umbreon really hates Team Rocket, so he probably can tell which way they aren't located in."

"We really just need to get outside," the male trainer answered before pulling off the Team Rocket uniform. "And since we've been spotted, I see no reason to keep this on."

Marisa nodded and did the same. They had both managed to keep hold of the bags containing their backpacks. If Umbreon had waiting any longer to come out, those probably would have been taken away from them, so they had been lucky on that account. The bad thing about being seen was simply that now Team Rocket would make plans to clear out as quickly as possible. They would not risk the police showing up and arresting them.

Both trainers secured their hats and backpacks once more, but Blake did one more thing. He released Typhlosion. "We better be prepared for a fight now," he said without Marisa even needing to ask. She knew why he had done it. Umbreon was already out for her and at this point, the Moonlight Pokemon would be very stubborn about going back into his ball. She was basically stuck with him, which was not bad unless the Pokemon completely lost his temper.

Typhlosion moved to Umbreon's side and the two urged their trainers to get moving. With no reason left to stay there, the trainers exchanged nods and began following the Pokemon. They moved at a slower pace than the all-out sprint they had previous used. All they needed to do was get out of the cavern. There was more room to battle outside and it would allow them to watch for Pidgeotto and hopefully the help it would bring.

The Pokemon frequently scanned the area with eyes and presumable ears. Both were very much on guard. No one needed to tell these two to be careful. They turned down a few paths and noticed that they were climbing. A good sign since the cavern was below ground. However, the more they climbed, the slower they moved. Umbreon and Typhlosion became more cautious. Marisa and Blake could only trust them for they could not sense anything.

"You knew that guy?" Blake asked just needing to say something. "The blue haired one?"

"You mean Simon? I didn't exactly know him. He hung out with Benett sometimes. He always seemed like he had some scheme going on in his head," Marisa replied. "However, it looks like he doesn't stick with Benett anymore."

"What do you mean?" Blake inquired hoping to find out more about Marisa.

"He said 'Lady Lilinia.' Benett works under Maxwell. For all I know, it could have always been that way. I found out a lot of these while they have been after me," she answered. "One thing is certain we can't take any of them lightly."

Blake nodded. That was one thing he did not need to be told. He had figured that one out all on his own. The guy, Simon, had let them see what was going on. He wanted to put them in a place that would make escape hard. Even though he had managed to come up with the plan to get inside, Blake had not the slightest idea how to get away from Simon once he caught them. He envied Umbreon for its abilities.

"Looks like we've made it to an exit," Marisa said pointing forward. There was a clear opening in the cavern and the sky was very much visible. However, the sky was darkening indicating that the day was beginning to end. They had been underground for a while.

The group slowly moved toward the opening. Rushing out was the last thing on their mind. It was a different opening than the one they initially came through. This one was smaller. Closer to the size of a doorway. Since they did not know if it was safe, they group peeked around the corner. There were no grunts in sight.

With the Pokemon leading, they slowly moved out. This location was higher up than the one they had been at before. There was no water reachable from the point. They would have to find a way to scale downward if they wanted to get to the sea. That meant they really did not have a solid escape route. However, they were high enough that Pidgeotto would have no problem seeing them. They just needed to wait.

"Why are there no grunts here? This seems like a good lookout point," Marisa commented looking around. There were not as many boulders around as in the lower areas.

"Could they have moved from here to look for us?" Blake replied also taking time to look around. Umbreon and Typhlosion stayed on guard. They moved cautiously around the two trainers. They were ready to defend at a moment's notice.

"Somehow, I doubt that, but I do wonder how long we can stay here," Marisa answered.

"I hate this. I would rather fight than keep running away," the male trainer said with clear agitation. "Isn't there anything we can do?"

Marisa had to agree with him. She also wanted to do something, but what could the two of them possibly accomplish on their own especially with all of Team Rocket looking for them? Suddenly, Umbreon began growling. "They're here," she said looking around for the enemy. A purple blur swooped down at them. Marisa and Blake dove to the side to avoid it. Umbreon and Typlosion move to the front to protect them.

"I thought that would work," a voice said calmly. The purple blur slowed to reveal the form for a Crobat. Multiple Golbat flew up to join the fully evolved Pokemon.

Simon stepped out with a hoard of grunts in his sted. Escape was going to be difficult. It was not that they were blocking the opening the pair had previously passed through, it was simply the sheer number of them. They were outnumbered three to one if the Pokemon did not count.

"We have to fight," Blake said rising to his feet. "The odds are bad, but… we have to try."

Marisa stood up as well. She was on the same wavelength as Blake. They needed to waste time. "It won't be easy."

Blake smiled. "Nothing worth doing ever is." The male trainer turned to Typhlosion. "Think you can win?" Typhlosion roared and sent a stream of fire into the air while Umbreon continued to growl beside him.

"Simon," Marisa said standing behind Umbreon. "No more running."

Simon flicked his hair back. "A useless effort, but I'll play with you. Crobat, Wing Attack!"

"Umbreon, Shadow Ball!"

"Typhlosion, Flamethrower!"

The two Pokemon launched their attacks at the incoming bat Pokemon. With ease, Crobat dodged the two attacks and continued its charge downward. Umbreon and Typhlosion jumped out of the way to avoid the attack causing Crobat to miss and have to turn around. The two Pokemon were about to launch attacks at the backside of the Pokemon when something collided with them knocking them to the ground. Around them swirled all the Golbats that had previously been by the other Team Rocket members.

"Should have known they wouldn't fight fair," Marisa growled as she reached for another Pokeball.

"Don't," Blake warned. "We may need the other Pokemon to get away. We need to hold out as long as we can."

Marisa moved her hand away. She knew Blake was right. It would not do them any good to have the other Pokemon getting injured as well. It was hard. She did not like seeing Umbreon getting hurt cause of uneven numbers. The two Pokemon stood up just as the bat Pokemon swooped in for another attack.

"Quick Attack!" Both trainers yelled out at the same time. If they were going to be out numbered then they would need to use speed to try to get some advantage. Both Pokemon sped out of the way of the initial attacks and each managed to slam into a Golbat, but following the attack, they were knocked to the ground once more by Wing Attacks.

"Typhlosion, smokescreen!" Blake yelled hoping to at least get them a little time. Typhlosion quickly filled the battle field with the dark mist.

"Umbreon, Iron Tail!" They could not afford to not try to attack while they had the brief advantage.

"Air Cutter, Crobat!" The bat Pokemon launched sharp blades of wind toward the smoke just as Umbreon jumped out.

Fortunately, Umbreon was able to hit a Golbat and avoid the Air Cutter. The Air Cutter cut away the smokescreen leaving them with no cover and no Typhlosion. Umbreon landed beside a hole. Without Blake even saying a thing, Typhlosion had used the smokescreen as a chance to dig a hole. While dig was not going to very useful as an attack, it did allow the fire Pokemon some level of cover and gave it a chance for a sneak attack.

It took Marisa little time to figure out her next move. "Umbreon, Flash!" The Moonlight Pokemon filled the field with light blinding Pokemon and trainer alike.

"Flamethrower!" Typhlosion popped out of the ground and sent a powerful flame into the sky. Unfortunately, most of the bats managed to dodge without sight.

"Wing Attack!" Simon yelled. The bats dove toward the ground and the two Pokemon.

"Quick Attack!" This time the order came too late and the two Pokemon were too slow to dodge. Once more, Umbreon and Typhlosion were knocked to the ground. The pair were much slower on getting to their feet.

Simon laughed. "You don't stand a chance at beating us. Crobat, Wing Attack again!"

The bat Pokemon turned around and began the assault again. Umbreon and Typhlosion used the previously ordered Quick Attack to dodge, but once more took damage. The number of injuries were beginning to slow them down and Simon knew it. He wasted no time in ordering another attack.

This time a loud caw ripped through the air and something from up above began slamming into the bats at a fast speed putting a stop to the attack. Simon was clearly stunned.

"It's… Pidgeotto," Marisa managed to say as the bird Pokemon slowed to a hover position in front of her. At that moment, Pidgeotto began to glow.

"This is good timing," Blake remarked watching Pidgeotto evolve into Pidgeot. "Marisa, we have a chance."

Marisa found herself unable to hold back her smile. Pidgeot would have a much easier time fighting than Umbreon and Typhlosion and the return of the bird Pokemon meant one big thing. Help was coming. As happy-go-lucky as the bird Pokemon was, Marisa believed in it enough to know it completed its job.

The glow faded and the newly evolved Pokemon flew strong. "Hey, Simon, looks like you haven't won yet," Marisa called out.

"A random Pokemon showing up won't save you," Simon growled clearly having no idea that Pidgeot was really one of Marisa's Pokemon. "Crobat, use Wing Attack on that bird!"

Marisa did not need to say anything. Pidgeot knew what to do. Crobat flew with wings glowing toward the bird. Pidgeot did a flip in the air before flying at the bat Pokemon. White streams of light came out around Pidgeot as it launched its attack. The two Pokemon collided and smoke engulfed the two briefly before Pidgeot flew out and circled the battlefield. Crobat fell to the ground with swirls in its eyes.

"That attack…" Marisa began knowing it was a new one.

"Wasn't that Aerial Ace?" Blake asked clearly impressed. "Such power."

Simon's face was red with anger as he called Crobat back to its ball. "How could a wild Pokemon be that strong?"

Marisa smirked. "It's not a wild Pokemon," she said looking over at Pidgeot. "That Pokemon is mine. Pidgeot, take out those Golbat with Quick Attack!"

Pidgeot was much faster than the Golbat. The grunts called out orders, but it was clear they did not stand a chance. They had been relying on Simon and Crobat, which made them weaker with no leader it took no time for Pidgeot to finish them off.

"This doesn't mean you've won. We aren't done yet," Simon yelled.

"Looks like we have the upper hand," she told him as Pidgeot flew to the two trainers.

"Not for long," an unknown voice called.

Marisa and Blake could do nothing as a black ball slammed into Pidgeot knocking it hard to the ground. The female trainer rushed to her Pokemon's side. Pidgeot was down from one attack. "Umbreon, Moonlight," she ordered putting the bird Pokemon into its ball.

Out of nowhere a Gengar appeared making it obvious that the ghost Pokemon initiated the attack. Umbreon glowed for a moment before getting into position to fight. Typhlosion struggled a bit, but soon moved to Umbreon's side. The battle was back to how it had started only this time it appeared to be staying at a 2 on 1 level. From behind a rock, a beautiful woman stepped out. Neither trainer needed to ask who she was. It was not hard to figure out that she was 'Lady' Lilinia.

"Marisa Talis, you are as annoying as your father," Lilinia said as she moved behind her Pokemon. "To think that I would have to do this myself."

Marisa glanced at Blake. She half expected him to start drooling over their opponent. To her surprise, he was glaring at her. Obviously, the male trainer did not want every good looking female around.

"We've beaten better trainers than you," Marisa shot back. Winning this battle would be a long shot. With Typhlosion still quite injured and Umbreon only partially healed, things were not looking good. Arcanine and Vaporeon were still at full health, if they needed them. Marisa was unsure how Blake felt about sending out any of his reserves and neither of them knew how far away help was.

"Your Pidgeot is gone and your other two are weak. You stand no chance. Give up," Lilinia said with a laugh.

"Never!" Marisa shouted back.

A smile graced Lilinia's lips. "Gengar, Shadow Ball." The ghost Pokemon crafted the dark ball and threw it at the two Pokemon.

"Iron Tail!" Umbreon's tail glowed as it hit the ball back at Gengar.

"Flamethrower!" Typhlosion released a stream of fire right behind the Shadow Ball. An explosion caused a plume of smoke, but Marisa and Blake knew better than to believe the fight was over. Blake gave Typhlosion a signal and the fire Pokemon used dig.

"Umbreon, watch out!" Gengar appeared next to Umbreon with its fist flashing with purple sparks. Umbreon jumped to try and avoid the Shadow Punch attack, but Gengar anticipated the movement sent Umbreon flying with one hit. Fortunately, being a dark type was to the moonlight Pokemon's advantage and it managed to land on his feet. "Faint Attack!" Umbreon ran toward Gengar.

"Gengar, Night Shade!" A black beam shot out toward Umbreon.

"Typhlosion!" From out of the ground, the fire Pokemon launched out slamming into Gengar. Umbreon disappeared dodging the Night Shade and appeared beside Gengar. Quickly, Umbreon slammed into the Pokemon as well. Gengar was knocked to the ground.

"Not bad, but not good enough," Lilinia said as Gengar jumped to its feet. "Hypnosis."

"Don't look!" Marisa yelled, but the Pokemon were too slow to react. Umbreon and Typhlosion teetered before falling over asleep.

"Dream Eater!"

"Psybeam!" A blast from an unknown place slammed into Gengar stopping the Dream Eater attack. Blake and Marisa took this chance to run to their Pokemon and began shaking them awake. Both Pokemon slowly regain consciousness and with that Typhlosion started to growl.

"I thought so," Blake said looking toward the sky. Marisa looked up and saw what Blake was talking about. Flying in from the sky was an orange dragon like Pokemon with someone riding it. Sitting on the Pokemon's head was a lavender colored, cat like Pokemon that Marisa clearly recognized.

"Is that Cassandra and her Espeon?" Marisa asked a little unsure if she was really seeing the other trainer.

"That's her all right. Typhlosion hates her Charizard, so there is no mistake," Blake replied. "Looks like this battle is over."

Espeon jumped off of Charizard and stood in front of Gengar. Cassandra slid off and ran to the two trainers. "Are you two all right? I got here as soon as I could."

"How dare you ignore me?" Lilinia screamed. "Two Pokemon, Three Pokemon, it doesn't matter. I'll defeat you all!"

Cassandra turned to the angry Executive. "You've lost. The island is surrounded by the Police and Pokemon League forces. Espeon, finish off that Gengar."

Espeon ran at the ghost Pokemon and shot a Psybeam at close range. The attack launched Gengar back and into its trainer knocking them both out. Simon and the grunts could not believe what they saw.

"Run!" Simon said abandoning the Executive and taking off down the nearest tunnel. Cassandra did nothing to stop them. Instead she just looked at Marisa with a smile. The Pokemon were safe and so were they.

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**Next Chapter: Marisa's past and Blake's future.**

**A/N: Got the new Pokemon Rumble Blast game. It actually helped a little when writing the battle scene, which was causing me a little trouble. Hope people liked it.**


	22. Her Past, His Future

**A/N: The story is over 122 pages now! When I started this, I never thought it would get this long. I'm probably going to go back and give chapters titles mainly because it is starting to get hard for me to remember which chapter certain things happened in when I need to check info. Anyway, Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

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**First to Victory: Chapter 22

Throughout the night, the police worked to round up Team Rocket members and release the captured Pokemon. However, Blake and Marisa had no part in it. Cassandra forced the two trainers onto a boat and sent them back to Fuchsia City. In Fuchsia City, they were up all night giving report after report to detective after detective because apparently one detective's notes are not as good as another one's. The benefit of being back in town, however, was that Nurse Joy and Chansey came by and took care of their Pokemon.

Come morning, the two trainers were exhausted. Traveling, training Pokemon…. None of it compared to the endless amount of questions, which only ceased upon Cassandra's return from the Seafoam Islands. The Champion was furious. She could not believe that the pair had been kept up all night and she made sure everyone knew it. There was not a person in the building that did not feel Cassandra's anger.

Well, except for Blake. The male trainer chuckled in a corner throughout the whole confrontation, suggesting that he knew the Champion's wrath first hand. Marisa could only stand silently beside him wondering what happened to the Cassandra she knew. The whole event lasted only about 30 minutes before the older female grabbed the exhausted trainers and dragged them away. Nothing was spoken between the three of them until Cassandra suddenly stopped. "Let's get some breakfast." Those words brought them to a seaside café, where they now sat with food piled before them. Cassandra had basically ordered the entire menu somehow knowing that the pair had not ate much during the night.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that," Cassandra said sipping on some tea. "I sent you away so you could get some rest. I didn't expect them to grab you as soon as you arrived."

"How did things go on the Islands?" Marisa asked more concerned with Team Rocket than her own levels of sleep deprivation and need of food.

"Hold that thought," the Champion remarked waving her hand in the air. Both trainers looked up into the sky. It was not hard for either of them to figure out who she was waving too. The dragon shaped Pokemon was the obvious giveaway.

Blake grumbled something that sounded like "why him," but was virtually ignored. Marisa got up from her chair and ran to the dragon as it landed. Lance barely had time to get off before the female hugged him. Cassandra smiled as she saw Blake holding back his desire to tear the two apart.

Lance pulled Marisa away and looked at her. "It's good to see that you're all right. I wanted to get here sooner…"

"Don't worry about it," the female said stopping his sentence and changing to a more serious tone. "I'm glad you're here. I found out something I want to talk to you about."

Before the Dragon Master could say anything, Cassandra stood up. "Before anything, you need to eat," she said clearly referring to Marisa. Marisa sighed, but headed over to the table while Lance put Dragonite back into its ball.

"What's the status?" Lance asked as he took a seat beside Marisa. Clearly he wanted Marisa to eat as well since he aimed the question at Cassandra.

"In total, about 50 Team Rocket members were captured," Cassandra began pulling out a notepad. "Over 200 Pokemon were found trapped including Pokemon eggs. The operation leader seems to be Lilinia Farley, which we have taken into custody. She was unconscious at time of capture, so we haven't been able to get much out of her at this time."

"She seems to have issues with Executive Maxwell," Marisa said taking a piece of bacon. "You may be able to use that to get some information out of her."

"I don't recall her mentioning that name," Blake said slowly. Marisa froze midbite. She had forgotten that he was there. Blake was still very much in the dark about the whole situation.

"So, you still haven't told him?" Lance said leading back in the chair.

Marisa shook her head and looked down. She had a decision to make. Blake had been seen with her a number of times now. First at Mt. Moon, though she had to question how much of him had been seen. Then, there was the situation during the Pokemon Expo. There was no way Blake had not been seen. Benett had probably been screaming about him for days afterwards. Finally, there was the most recent incident. Blake had fought beside her without question, not knowing anything. Now was not the time for secrets.

Cassandra got up. "Why don't we continue this later? The two of you should take some time to talk things over before we go over anymore," she said.

"She's right," Lance agreed getting to his feet as well. "Marisa, I trust you'll make the right decision."

"We'll meet up again at the Pokemon Center later. Make sure you two eat," Cassandra ordered before she left with Lance.

Blake leaned back. "I fail to see the point of all this. If they were just going to leave, they shouldn't have shown up to begin with."

"Are you going to keep fighting Team Rocket?" Marisa asked without looking at him.

Blake looked at the sky. "I don't know. It's not like I've been running into them by choice, but I can't stand what they do to Pokemon and they obviously have an effect on you… I can't stand that either." The male trainer leaned forward and looked at her. Marisa refused to raise her head. "I won't force you to tell me what's going on, but I care enough about you that even not knowing, I'll protect you." Marisa felt her face heat up. Blake put a hand under her chin and lifted her head to eye level. He gave her one of his trademark smiles and almost made her fall out of her chair. "Enough about that though, let's eat. We can't let all this food go to waste."

* * *

"Do you think she'll tell him?" Cassandra asked leaning against a tree.

Lance looked out across the water and smiled. "She's grown much stronger since starting this journey. I think… she needs Blake," he replied before looking at Cassandra. "Continue with the briefing while we head to the police office."

* * *

"Can you believe that after all that we ended up where we started?" Blake remarked as he took a seat on the sandy beach. After eating as much as they could, the pair decided to take a walk along the beach and somehow made it back to the place they had been prior to leaving for Seafoam Islands. "Hard to believe we were just here yesterday."

"Yeah, I stop to train and you show up smelly and dirty," Marisa recalled as she sat down beside him. It was a good day to be outside. A slight breeze mixed with a few clouds.

"You would remember that," the male groaned. "Why don't you remember how charming I was?"

"Charming? You? Not likely," Marisa teased remembering how handsome he had looked with the growth of a beard.

"You lie," Blake said turning to her. "I know you liked seeing me wet and shirtless and I'm sure you enjoyed my arms around you."

Marisa blushed and avoided eye contact. He was right. She had enjoyed seeing him shirtless and had enjoyed being in his arms, but that did not mean he was charming. "Trying to seduce a woman does not mean you are charming."

Blake smiled and looked at the water. An idea suddenly came to him. "Wait here," he said as he stood up.

Marisa watched him, but said nothing as he ran off. Now that he was gone, Marisa forced herself to think about the matter she needed to tell him. He was probably in danger now, which made it better for her to tell him than for him to find out himself. Of course, there was the fact that he had talked about returning to Johto only the day before. She could use that as an excuse not to tell him, but something had changed between them in the past 24 hours. Cassandra and Lance seemed to have noticed as well.

"I'm back!" Blake called out. Marisa looked at him once more. In his hands were two fishing rods.

"What are those for?" the female trainer inquired while trying to figure out what he could be thinking.

"Being charming," he replied with a grin.

"Don't guys usually bring flowers or chocolates?"

Blake laughed. "Traditional stuff doesn't seem to do very much with you," he replied holding out a rod for her. "Though I would have no problem picking those up for you if you want."

"The fishing rod is fine," she replied standing up and taking the rod from him.

"Good. I thought we could relax with some fishing. Who knows what Pokemon we might catch."

Marisa could not help but wonder if there was an ulterior motive behind the fishing. However, after casting a few times, the female found herself relaxing a great deal. She had not thought fishing would calm her like it was doing. Blake was not saying a thing. They were just enjoying the sound of the water and birds, though every now and then, some people would pass by.

"I used to do this all the time in Johto," Blake said breaking the silence. He stabbed the end of the rod into the sand and took a seat beside it. "Whenever the stress of travel or training began to push down on me, I would get a rod and just sit by a lake. The water always had a calming effect on me."

Marisa took a seat beside him. She finally understood what Blake was doing. He knew she was bothered by the events of the past day and the things she needed to tell him. The male trainer was more thoughtful than she gave him credit for. He had said earlier that he did not need to know, but she could not keep the information from him if he had any intention of fighting.

"I used to be a member of Team Rocket," she said suddenly as she stared out at the water. Blake's eyes moved to watch her, but he said nothing. Even though she had spoken without any leads, he let her talk. "It wasn't by choice. I didn't even know who they were until I fled and they chased me."

The female took a deep breath before continuing. "My mother died when I was young, so I only had my father. He was always kind to me. He would bring me back things from his trips and would always praise me no matter what I did. Never a harsh word. I thought he was the greatest father in the World."

"When he was away, I would stay with Benett's family. He was my childhood playmate and it was not long before we caught our parents discussing an engagement. I thought nothing of it. I liked him enough and even though we were young, I thought the whole thing was normal. It wasn't until much later that I found out how trapped I was."

Marisa took another deep breath. She probably did not need to tell Blake everything, but for some reason, she really wanted him to understand it all. "One day, my father came home with a book about Pokemon and trainers. It made me want to travel and see all sorts of Pokemon, but instead, I ended up in a lab. My father took that love I developed for Pokemon as a sign that I wanted to be a researcher and he got me a job. I didn't mind it at first. I got to be around many different Pokemon, but that wasn't what I really wanted to do."

Marisa finally looked at Blake. He could tell it was hard for her to tell the story. "Working in the lab let me be around areas that had wild Pokemon and after a couple of years, I befriended a wild Growlithe. It would keep me company all the time, but for some reason my father would never give me a Pokeball to put it in no matter how much I asked. I began to get suspicious. Other lab workers had their own Pokemon in balls and even people my age did, but not me."

"A couple more years passed before I found out what was going on. I had forgotten some notes I wanted to review and returned to the lab. I happened to overhear a conversation between my father and the head of my department. My father wanted to know if my 'power' was fully developed yet and if I had realized what my purpose for being there was."

"Power?" Blake could not help himself from asking.

Marisa paused for a moment before replying. "I have the ability to tame Pokemon. I reach out with my energy and they instantly calm down. Apparently, my mother had the same gift. Back at the lab, I would use it without even knowing it. Team Rocket sees it as an asset, something they can use to control Pokemon."

"They need you to get it…" Blake mumbled starting to understand why Team Rocket wanted her so badly. "But you told me before that you stole from them."

"That's right. After hearing the conversation in the lab, I couldn't stay any longer, but I didn't want to leave without a little payback. I stayed for another couple of weeks while waiting for new Pokemon to arrive. During that time, I discovered just how much I had been lied to. I started listening in on conversations and during one between my father and Benett they talked about how I would be chained to them once we were married. Any trust I had for the people around me faded," she answered pulling out a Pokeball and staring at it.

"Then, the new Pokemon showed. A family of Eevee. Five in total. Everyone at the lab was excited. Most had never gotten a chance to study an Eevee and now there were five to work with. However, I wouldn't give them the chance. That night, I packed up some precious belongings and headed to the lab with Growlithe." Blake immediately knew which Pokemon was in the ball Marisa held. "Growlithe talked to the Eevee in my place. While uneasy, they decided to put their trust me and the seven of us fled the lab. Once I thought we were in the clear, I told the Eevee to leave, but one of them refused. His refusal made the others stay as well, but before long, Team Rocket found us and that was when I first discovered what kind of people I had been helping."

"For three years you have been hiding from them," Blake said remembering when she told him about the stealing. "Why didn't you just leave the region?"

Marisa put the Pokeball away and looked up at the sky. "I asked myself that many times and even now I don't really have an answer."

Without even thinking, Blake reached out and took Marisa into his arms. Marisa froze in place. "Thank you for telling me," he whispered knowing how hard it must have been to open up to him. He pulled her away to stare into her eyes. "You don't need to say anymore. Earlier, I told you I would protect you and I mean it. I won't return to Johto until I know you are safe." Marisa gave a small smile. Blake's words meant a lot to her. She had realized earlier that his presence made her stronger. Her confidence was greater when he was around, at least when it came to Team Rocket.

Blake pulled her against his chest once more and slowly stroked her hair. Marisa found her eyes closing at the action. "However, there is just one thing I would like you to clear up. Who is Executive Maxwell?"

Marisa tensed up for a moment. The words she needed to say had been extremely hard for her to admit to anyone and yet they came out fairly easily when Blake asked. "… My… father…" she answered slowly.

Blake said nothing. He just continued holding her and stroking her hair. Maxwell's connection with Marisa was something he had partially figured out. While he had not known that he was her father until she told her story, he had suspected that she knew him rather closely. However, no matter what had happened in the past, he had no intention of letting anyone have her. He had worked too hard to get her to let him hold her like he was doing. She was his to protect and to hold. Nothing was going to stop him now.

"I was five when my parent's abandoned me," Blake said as he stroked Marisa's hair. "While it is not the same, I do have some idea of the pain you have to deal with." Marisa moved her head to look at Blake's face. Cassandra had told her before that Blake had been abandoned. She never thought she would hear him talk about it himself.

"If it hadn't been for a group of Pokemon, I probably wouldn't be here now. They took care of me for the two years until Professor Elm found me. They even pushed me to go with the Professor when I was reluctant to go. Somehow they knew I needed to be around people, but once hurt, it makes it very hard to trust again. Even as a child I realized that."

Blake stared into Marisa's eyes. "We're lucky, you know. We lost our family, but have found new ones without even looking."

Marisa nodded. He was right about that. She had Lance and Professor Oak. Both had accepted her without any conditions and treated her like family even when she wanted to keep them at a distance.

Blake slowly pushed her away from him. "Speaking of family, we have probably let Cassandra and Lance wait for us for long enough."

Marisa gave him a small smile. Talking made her feel much better, but there were still things left to do. She had a lead to give Lance and she needed to decide how much she wanted to be involve with future Team Rocket missions and that was just one issue.

* * *

**Next Chapter: The Journey continues.**

**A/N: Next update will probably be on the 11****th****. I wonder how many people have any idea why I would update on that day.**


	23. Flaming Badge Battle!

**A/N: 1 year ago today I posted this story, so it only seemed right to update. This chapter goes out to the readers, who give me stats to look at, and the reviewers, who remind me that people actually care if I update. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

* * *

First to Victory: Chapter 23

"Hey, Marisa, I think it would be better to wait to tell Lance what you found out," Blake suddenly said as the pair finished returning the rods Blake had borrowed.

Marisa looked at him confused. "Why?"

Blake turned to face her. "If you shut down the gym, how will you get enough badges to compete in the Pokemon League Competition?"

Blake had a point that Marisa had completely forgotten about until now. If she shut down the Viridian Gym, she would not be the only trainer having a problem qualifying. Even if it meant taking down Team Rocket, did she want to sacrifice her chance to compete in the League Competition? Knowing Lance, he probably had the means to get the gym back up before the competition, but did she take the chance? At the very least, she should get her seventh badge before telling him what she knew. It could take a gym battle to get them to reveal themselves and what better way to get back at them than to get her eighth gym badge in the process?

"Let's see what happens," Marisa replied not wanting to make a commitment yet. She could make a decision once they arrived at the Pokemon Center.

The rest of the trip to the Pokemon Center occurred in silence. Neither trainer could come up with anything to say to the other. After all that had happened, talking just did not seem to fit, so they remained silent. That silence would break once they arrived at their destination.

"Where are they?" Blake asked looking around. There were not many people in the Center. In fact, Blake was fairly sure he was able to see everyone clearly from his spot at the door.

"I had a feeling this would happen," Marisa remarked looking around as well.

"What do you mean?" the male trainer asked turning to Marisa.

The female sighed. "They don't have time to wait around for us," she replied. "Cassandra said to meet here, so that we can rest up while they go work on the investigation. We probably won't see them for a few days."

It was now Blake's turn to sigh. "What do you want to do?"

"Rest," Marisa replied walking toward Nurse Joy. It was barely passed noon, but over 24 hours had passed with no sleep. Normally, that would not be a probably, but current events said otherwise. "We haven't slept for a while. We can decide more later."

"I'll rest in a bit. There's something I want to do first," Blake said heading toward the phones. Marisa did not ask. She had a feeling she knew what he was doing. Most likely, he was changing Pokemon. Marisa was sure he regretted not having more of his stronger Pokemon with him. If she was right, then they would have an easier time fighting in the near future.

"Nurse Joy, could I get a couple of room keys," the female asked as she stopped in front of the desk.

"Of course, Marisa," Nurse Joy said with a smile. "Also, a message was left here for you."

"A message?" Marisa asked taking the keys and a folded piece of paper. The answe3r to her question came quickly as she opened the note.

_ Caught up in work. We'll talk later.  
-Lance_

The note only confirmed what Marisa already knew. The female trainer thanked Nurse Joy quickly before heading toward the phones. While the message was short and basically unimportant, Blake still deserved to see it.

"Changing Pokemon again? I thought you were returning soon," an older man with brown hair and glasses said through the phone. Marisa recognized him immediately. Answering the phone had been one of her regular jobs at Professor Oak's lab and a few of those calls involved the man on the video phone.

"There has been a change of plans," Blake replied while making it sound like it was an everyday occurrence. "I'll come back when I can, but for now, I need to swap a few Pokemon."

"So, I was right," Marisa said coming up behind Blake. Blake jumped slightly clearly not expecting her to show up. "Hello, Professor Elm."

"Well, hello, Marisa. Are you running an errand for Professor Oak?" Professor Elm asked clearly remembering her.

Marisa shoved a key and piece of paper toward Blake. "No, I'm traveling right now. I suppose you could say I'm doing my own research." Blake read the piece of paper.

"I hope Blake isn't causing you too much trouble."

Marisa laughed. "Nothing I can't handle," she replied before turning to Blake. "Take your time," she told him before saying good bye to the Professor. She did not need to get stuck in a conversation.

Blake watched Marisa walk away. "So, that's why you're staying," Professor Elm said causing Blake to turn back to the screen. While most of the time Professor Elm could only think about Pokemon, every now and then, Blake was forced to deal with his rare human observation talent. He was in for a long conversation.

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be all right?" Lance asked through the Pokegear.

"We'll be fine. We're going to use Lapras and Pidgeot to get to Cinnabar Island and from there we can use a ferry to go to Pallet Town," Marisa replied while stroking her bird Pokemon. "It shouldn't take more than a week. You can meet up with us back in Pallet Town."

"Is there no way to keep you here?" Lance was clearly worried.

"I would feel a lot safer away from all these Team Rocket members." It was only partially true. She did feel uneasy, but it was more centered on what was to come rather than what already occurred.

Lance was silent for a few moments before replying. "Fine, but at least promise me you'll keep a Pokemon out at all times. There may be Team Rocket members hiding out."

Marisa easily agreed. The thought had occurred to her as well. All the members in Seafoam Islands were not captured. They easily could have fled to Cinnabar.

"I'll be careful," she assured him before ending the call.

"Can we go now?" Blake asked impatiently from his lounge position on Lapras.

"Shall we?" Marisa asked her Pokemon. Pidgeot cried out happily and let Marisa get on. The bird Pokemon was excited to have a rider. It took off without wasting time and circled around the sky like it was showing off the world to its trainer.

It was a good day to be traveling. Not too cold and not too hot and Marisa was glad that they had waited until the next day to leave. A good sleep had allowed her to recharge her mind and body. She had to wonder if Blake was feeling the same way. He had hardly said anything since they left the Pokemon Center and now he appeared to be sleeping. If he was not sleeping, he was very much relaxed. His eyes were closed and his arms were acting as pillows behind his head. Marisa found herself unable to look away.

"Enjoying the view?" The voice surprised Marisa as she realized that she had been caught looking.

"It's amazing. I can see all sorts of water Pokemon from up here," Marisa said stumbling through the excuse.

"Are you sure that is all?" Blake said clearly knowing otherwise.

"Is there something else I should be looking at?" Marisa replied trying to avoid admitting the truth.

The male trainer stretched allowing his shirt to ride up a bit showing off his abs. Marisa blushed as she turned away. Blake chuckled. "Not that I don't mind you looking… shouldn't you be deciding what Pokemon to use in your gym battle?"

"Vaporeon, Arcanine and Flareon," Marisa replied before remembering that she did not have Flareon with her. "Hmm… guess we need to stop by a Pokemon Center before going to the gym."

"Why did you choose those Pokemon?" Blake asked trying to remember if he told her the Pokemon type for the gym.

"That's easy, I researched the gyms beforehand," the female trainer replied while having Pidgeot fly closer, so that they would have to yell less. "Cinnabar Island is a fire type gym. Vaporeon is my only water type, so I'll use fire types for an even match up."

"If you researched the gyms, then shouldn't you have known about the Viridian Gym?"

Marisa shook her head. "I never thought Team Rocket could have a gym. I found it odd that I could never get much information on the Gym Leader, but I never associated it with Team Rocket. In fact, if Benett had not said anything, I doubt I would have found out until it was too late."

"Guess I have a reason to thank that guy…" Blake mumbled as he sat up and remembered the encounter at the Pokemon Expo. Marisa nodded in agreement. It was not exactly the best way to get information, but it certainly helped.

* * *

"He wants you to do what?" Blake asked unsure if he heard right.

Marisa sighed. "Lance wants me to keep a Pokemon out at all times for protection," she repeated.

Blake frowned. "So, he doesn't think I can protect you?"

"I doubt he was thinking about that." The pair had just arrived on Cinnabar Island. It was a vacation spot mainly, but trainers still came. They had to in order to complete in the Pokemon League.

"Sounds that way," Blake mumbled. He was making his unhappiness know.

Marisa released a light laugh. The tough flirt had his pride hurt by Lance's words and they were not even said directly to him. "You can be such a little kid," she teased putting Pidgeot away. If she was going to keep a Pokemon out, Pidgeot was not the best choice. As if on cue, another Pokeball opened.

Blake glared at the black Pokemon. "Who said you could come out? Do you think you can protect her better than me?" Umbreon replied with a nod and stood protectively in front of Marisa. Blake's glare did not cease. "I don't like you."

Marisa laughed and knelt down beside Umbreon. "You need to stop getting out of your ball," she told him. Umbreon shook his head and said something.

"Stubborn Pokemon," Blake mumbled looking away.

Marisa smiled lightly, stood up and put her hand on Blake's shoulder. "Come on, let's get to the Pokemon Center."

Blake stared at the hand for a few moments before smiling. He took her hand and began to walk. "Fine with me," he replied suddenly cheerful. One might suspect that he was waiting for an opportunity like that.

Marisa blushed as he took her hand. She could argue that he held it so that they would not get separated, but she was fairly sure he had done it for other reasons. Whatever those reasons were, she did not really care. Having Blake hold her hand felt nice. As such, she let him hold it all the way to the Pokemon Center.

Once in the Pokemon Center, Marisa slipped her hand out of Blake's and heading for the phones. Blake stood off to the side as Marisa swapped Bulbasaur with Flareon. He did not want Professor Oak to go off on the potential relationship between himself and Marisa like Professor Elm had. That could wait until they got to Pallet Town at least. The conversation had been awkward and had forced him to make a few realizations. Marisa's allowance of his handholding gave him some confidence that he would be able to do what he needed to, but at the same time, he did not feel right asking anything of her while Team Rocket was after her. He was at a loss and he was well aware that his confusion was showing in his moods.

"Ready to go?" Marisa asked snapping Blake's thoughts back to reality.

"Huh?"

Marisa shook her head. "Have you forgotten why we are here?" she asked holding back a laugh. Blake's mood was amusing her again.

"Uh… Gym battle?" Blake said while sounding a little unsure.

"That's right. Nurse Joy says the Gym is by the Volcano. Guess the Gym Leader takes his fire serious," the female trainer said before turning toward the door. "You coming?"

Blake moved quickly from his position to Marisa's side. "Of course," he replied still trying to get his mind back on track.

The two walked in silence, not because they could think of nothing to say, but because both had thoughts they would rather think about. Marisa was focused on her strategy for the Gym Battle and Blake… well, Blake was thinking about the female beside him. Both were able to be in their thoughts since Umbreon was more than happy to watch out for them. The Moonlight Pokemon had refused to return to its Pokeball, which had forced Marisa to send Bulbasaur back to the lab instead. So now, it maintained a constant guard while they walked.

"Is this the gym?" Marisa asked as they reached a plain building with a simple sign saying "Cinnabar Gym." Unlike the other gyms, there was nothing to this one. It was pressed up against the volcano and clearly the Gym Leader had no desire to go extravagant.

"Well, the Gym Leader is a bit of an odd fellow," Blake remarked remembering the man. "No way to know unless we go in."

Marisa nodded and together, they pushed open the doors of the gym. The doors opened to a long hallway with torches lighting the way. There were no people, only a hallway. Slowly, the two trainers and Umbreon moved down it. The temperature seemed to rise as they went and Marisa soon slipped off her jacket and tied it around her waist, while Blake was thankful that he was wearing his swimming attire.

"How far does this go?" Marisa asked wiping sweat from her brow.

"Is that a door?" Blake answered back wishing he had a fan. Marisa looked down the path and had to agree. Something that looked like a stone door and probably was a stone door was not far away. The pair ran to the door hoping it led to a cooler room. The door was large and a stone plaque hung on it. Blake immediately pushed against the door, but it did not move. Marisa pushed him aside and looked at the plaque.

_If you wish to enter the gym, you must answer correctly the question: Flareon's best stat is?_

"What is this?" Marisa asked pointing to the plaque.

Blake leaned over to read it. "Oh, that's right. Back at the Expo, the Gym Leader would ask trainers questions before accepting the challenge. Guess he does the same here," he explained. "But this… Flareon's best stat?"

Marisa sighed. "This is easy. Flareon has high attack power." Without delay, the door swung open. Blake was stunned, which made Marisa smile. "I wouldn't be a very good trainer if I didn't know the strengths and weaknesses of my own Pokemon."

Blake crossed his arms over his chest. "Not fair, mine was much harder."

Marisa laughed. "Maybe you need to study more," she teased as she walked through the door. Blake slowly followed. Unfortunately, the interior was hotter than the hallway. A battlefield rested over a boiling pit of lava. Clearly, they were inside the volcano.

"Welcome to my Gym!" A voice called out. Marisa looked around before finally spotting a man standing in the middle of the battlefield. He wore a red, long sleeve shirt with a white vest and khaki pants. In his hand was a wooden cane and he wore sunglasses even though they were inside, though Marisa had to admit that the lava lit up the area quite a bit. The man also had no hair except for a white mustache.

"Hey, Blaine," Blake called out waving to the old man. "How can you stand this heat?"

"Why are you here? You already beat me," Blaine replied ignoring Blake's question.

"He's with me," Marisa called out. "I wish to challenge you."

Blaine studied Marisa for a moment before replying. "As Gym Leader, I am obligated to accept all challenges," Blaine replied. "We can start when you are ready. It will be a three Pokemon match with no time limit. You may switch out Pokemon, but I cannot."

Marisa nodded. Same gym rules as always and she was glad that she grabbed Flareon. Her investigation has shown that Blaine did not always do a 3 on 3 battle. In fact, her reports showed that he liked doing 1 on 1 battles a lot.

Blake watched as Marisa headed to the challenger spot. He had never really seen her battle seriously except when battling against him, though he could count the Team Rocket battles as serious even though he did no t really watch her. This would be the first safe, serious battle he was getting to view. He was hoping for a victory.

Marisa took her spot in the challenger's box with Umbreon at her side. Unlike the humans, Umbreon seemed to have no problem with the head. Of course, Marisa would not put it passed Umbreon to act tough and hide how much the heat was draining him.

"I'm ready," Marisa called out trying to ignore the heat. It was much hotter on the field than it had been when they walked in.

Blaine pulled out a Pokeball and threw it. "Ninetails, go," he called out.

Marisa paused for a second as the fox-like Pokemon appeared. She needed to make a good choice for her first Pokemon. "Flareon, you're up," she said while releasing the Pokeball.

"So, Ninetails versus Flareon for the first round," Blake mumbled as Flareon appeared on the field. "This should be interesting."

"Quick Attack!" Blaine ordered getting the battle started. Ninetails ran quickly at Flareon.

"Sand Attack!" Marisa ordered knowing Flareon was not fast enough to dodge. Flareon turned around and began kicking up sand toward Ninetails. No dodge orders were given and Ninetails charged through the sand and slammed into Flareon knocking the fire Pokemon back, but the attack was not without damage for Ninetails. The fox Pokemon wiped at the sand in its eyes. "Flareon, Quick Attack!"

It was now Flareon's turn to speed at Ninetails. "Double Team," Blaine ordered with little worry. Even with hurt sight, Ninetails was still able to execute a successful Double Team before Flareon got to it.

"Fill the field with Smog," Marisa ordered knowing Flareon was at a disadvantage. The fire Pokemon opened its mouth sending dark smog around the field. "Now, Quick Attack!"

Flareon ran through the smog and while no one could see it, they were able to see when it made contact with Ninetails knocking the other fire Pokemon out of the smog. The fox Pokemon glowed purple as it regained its balance.

"Good, Flareon, return," Marisa said recalling the fire Pokemon. She pulled out another Pokeball. "Vaporeon, you're up." The bubble jet Pokemon came out ready to battle.

"Ninetails, Fire Spin," Blaine called out. The fire Pokemon sent a spiraling blast toward Vaporeon.

"Agility," Marisa ordered. "And then water gun!" Vaporeon easily dodged the fire attack with its speed increase and followed up its dodge with a powerful water gun attack that knocked Ninetails over. The combination of the water and being poisoned took Ninetails out of the match.

"Ninetails, return. Go, Rhydon!" The large Drill Pokemon came out of the newly thrown ball. "Use Fury Attack!" The rock Pokemon charged at Vaporeon with its horn moving quickly. The bubble jet Pokemon dodged the attacks as best it could.

"Ice Beam!" Vaporeon flipped in the air and shot a blue beam at the attacking Rhydon freezing the Pokemon in place, but not for long. The Drill Pokemon had no problem breaking out of the ice and continuing the assault. Soon, it connected solidly with Vaporeon knocking the Bubble Jet Pokemon back.

"Horn Drill!" Rhydon's horn began to spin as the Pokemon charged at Vaporeon. Marisa needed to think fast.

"Ice Beam, at Rhydon's legs," Marisa ordered. The Bubble Jet Pokemon obeyed. A blue beam shot out freezing Rhydon's legs. While it did not stop the Pokemon for long, it was long enough for Vaporeon to jump out of the way. "Now, Water Gun!" The blast of water shot out at Rhydon slamming it in its back. The Drill Pokemon stumbled, but was not out.

Rhydon turned and awaited its next order. "Now, Rhydon, Horn Attack!" The Drill Pokemon charged at Vaporeon once more. The Bubble Jet Pokemon tried to dodge, but was too slow and took the bombardment. Vaporeon fell and struggled to get on its feet. "Horn Drill once more."

Rhydon charged close once again. "Vaporeon, Water Pulse!" The Pokemon struggled but managed to open its mouth and release the blue waves of water pulse. The attack connected and managed to knock Rhydon down and out at last, but Vaporeon was hurt.

"Rhydon, return. For my last Pokemon, I sent out Magmar," Blaine said throwing his last Pokeball out. The fire Pokemon came out ready to fight.

"Vaporeon, return." Marisa knew Vaporeon was in no condition to fight the fully healed Pokemon. "Arcanine, you're up!" Arcanine roared as it came out. Another Fire Pokemon battle was about to commence.

"Magmar, Smokescreen!" Blaine ordered using a method Marisa had previously used with Flareon.

"It won't be that easy. Arcanine, Agility and Flamethrower!" Arcanine created a flaming tornado that tore away at the smokescreen and slammed into Magmar. However, the attack did little damage since Magmar was also a fire type.

"Interesting. Magmar, Fire Punch." Blaine ordered getting Magmar to move in close with flaming fists. Arcanine dodged each attack with simple back steps, but soon found itself up against the edge of the field. "Flamethrower!"

"Flamethrower!" Marisa ordered the same move. The collision of the two fire attacks caused an explosion that covered the area in smoke. "Arcanine, Take Down!" The fire Pokemon ran forward and slammed into Magmar before another order could be issued. The attack did some damage to Arcanine, but more to Magmar.

"Fire Punch again!" Magmar began throwing punches at Arcanine once more.

"Bite the fist!" Arcanine opened its mouth and bit down hard on Magmar's hand stopping the fire punch. While there was some burning sensation, Arcanine was able to ignore it do to type. "Finish this with Fire Blast!" The Fire Pokemon remained clamped down on Magmar while it charged up its Fire Blast.

"Magmar, Punch out of that hold!" Magmar began punching Arcanine as it tried to get out of the hold, but it did not work and soon, flames engulfed the Spitfire Pokemon. The battle ended as Magmar fell to the ground.

"Wow, that was a flaming hot battle," Blaine said walking across the field. "You have earned your Volcano badge."

Blake watched from above. He was impressed with the battle. Marisa knew how to use her Pokemon well when it came to battling Pokemon she was familiar with. He would need to watch out next time he battled her. She was getting used to seeing his Pokemon and that could spell out trouble for him later on, but right now, that did not matter all that much. Marisa was one badge away from the Pokemon League and getting that badge was not going to be easy.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Return to Pallet Town.**

**A/N: The end of the story is in sight… sort of. I'm debating what to do in upcoming chapters, but I do know that the story is over halfway done. Hope you have been enjoying it. **


	24. Return to Pallet Town!

**A/N: Wanted to get this up sooner, but you know how the holidays go. Solyeuse, 11/11/11 was actually pure coincidence. I didn't realize what day it was until after I posted. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

* * *

First to Victory: Chapter 24

Marisa stared out across the water. Soon they would be back in Pallet Town. There was no telling what would happen once they arrived. She really had no proof that the Viridian Gym was involved with Team Rocket other than her own knowledge and that had come from Blake and not her own eyes. Benett could have been lying to her about there being a Gym, but she suspected otherwise. It would be up to Lance to do the full investigation.

A pair of arms wound around her middle. "Don't fall over now," Blake said softly into her ear. Marisa felt an urge to lay back into him, but held it back.

"What are you doing?" she asked trying to sound uninterested.

"Keep you from falling into the water," he replied. "I thought that was obvious." The ferry was not moving fast enough to cause someone to fall overboard unless they were drunk or something similar to that. Of course, Marisa did not fall into that category, which meant that Blake was just looking for an excuse to hold her.

The pair remained in silence. Mainly because Marisa did not know what to say to him, so the two stood there, looking over the water with the male holding a tense female. The rumors would start if they ran into anyone they knew, which was highly unlikely.

"Hey, you're shaking. Are you cold?" Blake asked concerned.

"Uh… no…" Marisa mumbled pulling away. She had not realized she was shaking. Her emotions were usually well under control. Between Blake and Team Rocket… she was starting to fall apart.

Blake watched her silently. He had a bad feeling she was going to do something foolish. That feeling had made him grab her like he did, but she was pushing herself away from him again. Becoming distant. He did understand why and there was very little he could do to help. All he could do was be there when she needed him. It was a yo-yo with her though. She teased him. One moment, she would melt in his embrace and the next… she would be off in a world he could not touch, and yet he knew she did not hate him. A powerful thought that kept him going. You do not tell your past to someone you hate. You do not travel with someone you hate unless you have some masochistic tendencies. That being said, Blake was sure he was not hated, but one thing still bothered him. She had yet to call him by his actual name, which opened up the question of whether she saw him as a friend or some helpful bystander.

Blake moved his gaze to the water. He knew how he wanted Marisa to view him. Since meeting her, he found himself comparing other females to her. No other female was as good as her. No other female caught his attention like she did. Of course, he did not know another female with her baggage either, but that did not matter to him. One thing was for sure though… he needed to make his feelings clear and soon.

* * *

"Professor Oak!" Marisa called out while waving to the old man. Prior to leaving Cinnabar Island, Marisa had contacted the Professor letting him know she was heading back, which might have explained why he was standing outside the lab.

"Marisa," the old man waved back. Marisa and Umbreon ran toward the lab, while Blake maintained his pace. The female trainer was clearly glad to be back in familiar territory. "How was the trip?"

"It was pretty calm. You could see the water Pokemon swimming around the ferry," Marisa told the Professor with a smile. "Has Lance arrived yet?"

"Lance? No, I haven't seen him. Is he coming here?"

"I told him to meet me here. He must still be wrapping things up in Fuchsia. There was… an incident," Marisa said slowly not wanting to worry the Professor. He knew considerably less about everything than Lance or Blake.

"Incident? Isn't that downscaling it just a bit," Blake said walking up beside her. "Hello, Professor Oak, it has been a while."

"Blake?" The Professor looked between the two. "I must say… I didn't expect to see you two together."

"That's not important," Marisa said quickly not wanting to go into details, though that was just the excuse. She did not know how to explain her relationship with Blake and did not want to try at that time. "He's helping Lance out. Can I go see my Pokemon?"

"Nice change of topic…" Blake mumbled almost saddened that he did not get some 'boyfriend' introduction even though he knew the likely was next to none anyway.

The Professor looked between them again before replying. "Of course, I believe most of them are out in the field right now." Marisa nodded before running up the stairs and into the lab with Umbreon at her heels. "Shall we have some tea?" Professor Oak suggested turning to Blake.

The male trainer scratched the back of his head. "Sounds good." He had anticipated something like this. Professor Elm had asked a ton of questions after Marisa talked with him, so he had expected Professor Oak to do the same. He just hoped Lance showed up soon and cut the conversation about personal relationships short. With Marisa's question avoidance, he was not sure how to define their relationship, which meant he would answer the same way he had done with Professor Elm… with half truths.

* * *

Marisa contemplated letting all of her Pokemon out, but changed her mind. She would spend time with the untrained Pokemon later, once she was preparing for the Pokemon League Competition. The Pokemon League Competition… her last badge… Marisa was unsure if she would be able to get it. There was a chance that Viridian was not under Team Rocket control and it was actually one of the other gyms she had been to already. Unlikely, but possible. If it came down to it, Lance could probably get her in through some loophole, but it was still a question whether she wanted him to. The Dragon Master helping her would be a case of special treatment and if the other trainers found out… well, she did not want to deal with their jealousy even though she had a feeling people would find out that she was well acquainted with Lance somehow. All she could do for now was wait and see.

Umbreon lead the way to a tree in the field. It was a place Marisa frequently sat with her Pokemon. Enough shade to keep them cool while plenty of room to train with the various Pokemon and it was close to a river. Jolteon and Espeon ran over to join Umbreon in the shade while waiting for the rest of their friends. The Eevee Evolutions were always glad to be together. Marisa got the point and released the Pokemon she still had in her Pokeballs. Vaporeon and Flareon immediately ran to their fellow Eevee Evolutions while the others did their own thing. Pidgeot flew into the tree and began singing, Dratini swam around in the river and Arcanine stood by Marisa's side waiting for her to find a place to relax.

Marisa looked around. "I wonder where Bulbasaur went," she mumbled looking around for it. As if on cue, Bulbasaur came running toward the group with a small blue blur following. The female smiled lightly. "Looks like Nidoran is coming to join us as well. Professor Oak must have let her out earlier."

Marisa bent down as the two Pokemon came over to her. She scratched Nidoran behind the ear. "You seem to have calmed down. Making friends?" Nidoran replied cheerfully before tackling Marisa to the ground. Marisa laughed. "And it seems you've gotten stronger as well." The Poison Pin Pokemon got up and ran over to Bulbasaur to play.

Time seemed to pass quickly while the Pokemon played and sparred. Marisa took a spot under the tree with Arcanine at her side. They used to sit together all the time before the fire Pokemon evolved. Growlithe always sat on her lap and that had been difficult for the Pokemon to get used to not doing once it evolved, but it managed. In fact, sometimes it enjoyed letting Marisa use it as a pillow though its favorite was when Marisa wanted to ride on its back. Marisa could tell it enjoyed that the most. Arcanine would roar and run for as long as it could not caring about the extra weight.

"Are all of these your Pokemon?"

Marisa looked over and saw Blake approaching while watching her Pokemon. "A few," she replied not bothering to move from her spot.

"Umbreon, Espeon, Vaporeon, Flareon and Jolteon… So you evolved the five Eevee you were telling me about into different forms… makes sense," the male trainer said taking a seat beside her.

"Not exactly," Marisa replied not bothering to look at him while talking. Her face got warm just from his presence. "They made the choice on their own."

"What does that mean?"

"Simple, they made the choice to evolve. Jolteon, Vaporeon and Flareon actually found the stones to evolve and Umbreon and Espeon could have kept from evolving and didn't," Marisa explained. "In fact, Flareon brought back a fire stone so that Growlithe could also evolve."

Blake eyed the Eevee Evolutions cautiously. They were clearly very intelligent Pokemon and knew what they wanted. "When did all that happen?"

"Hmm… uh… Well, Umbreon evolved pretty early on after they all decided to stay. He evolved to protect the others or so I've always thought. Umbreon has always been the leader of the group. He was the one that convinced the others to stay with me as well," Marisa replied before recalling the various times of evolving. "Jolteon and Vaporeon came back one night evolved. We had chosen a canyon area to hide in and it just happened. I woke up and there they were. Umbreon had been evolved for a while by that point. Flareon found the fire stones hidden in the ground by a river. It dug them up, evolved and offered one to Growlithe. Espeon, however, didn't evolve until fairly recently." Marisa looked over at Espeon. "Espeon has always been the quietest of the bunch. It does not like to fight, so I was surprise when it decided to evolve."

"And you played no part in it? Didn't even suggest it?"

"Nope, I wasn't thinking about how to get stronger Pokemon or types or anything like that. All I cared about in those days was staying away from Team Rocket and keeping the Pokemon safe. I was more likely to jump in front of my Pokemon than order them to fight. That was the kind of world I was living in," Marisa admitted while recalling how foolish she had been and probably still was. She would do anything to keep her Pokemon safe.

"Sounds like you found some good allies," Blake replied looking up at the sky. A dark shape passed over head. "And it looks like Lance has arrived."

Marisa looked up and nodded. The shadow of Dragonite was hard to miss. "We should get back to the lab."

* * *

"Viridian Gym?" Lance asked in surprise. Currently, he was sitting in Professor Oak's living room with Blake and Marisa. None of them could really say where Professor Oak and Tracey had gone.

"That's right. I believe Team Rocket has been controlling it for some time," Marisa explained knowing Lance could not do anything without good reason. "There are always stand-in Gym Leaders, according to my research, and Benett spoke of Maxwell being at the Expo in place of a Gym Leader. He thought I would remember the gym, but forgot that I knew very little regarding Team Rocket. Based on description, it's fairly safe to say that the Viridian Gym is the gym Benett was talking about."

"This is the first of heard of this," Lance admitted. "But it's strange. They have been after you and you've been so close to the gym all this time. Why didn't they try something?"

"If trainers suddenly went missing, wouldn't that cause the League to start an investigation?" Blake remarked trying to put himself into Team Rocket's position. "They probably couldn't risk the gym being investigated and that is assuming they knew Marisa was around."

"I'm betting they have no idea," Marisa said thinking about the whole thing. "If they did, then they could have tracked me back here, yet they never have. Attacking Professor Oak would not have put the Gym at risk. It would look like just another Team Rocket attack to get Pokemon."

"Is there anything you can do?" Blake asked hoping Lance had a way to verify the information.

Lance thought for a moment. "I may be able to get an official investigation going, but it will take some time."

"Is there anything we can do in the meantime?" The female trainer had a feeling she already knew the answer.

Lance shook his head. "It would be best if the two of you laid low for a while."

"You must be kidding," Marisa said harsher than she wanted to. She knew Lance would want them out of the way, but that did not mean she had to sit by and let it happen. "We should be helping you. Without us, you wouldn't even have this information."

"I know which is why you two need to stay safe. Who knows what could happen if they found out you passed on such intelligence to me. There's also a chance that this is all a trap," Lance said taking Marisa's hand. "Please, just stay here until I send word. If we find anything, I promise to let you know right away."

Marisa looked down at the hands before sighing. "Fine, I'll stay put. You better be fast though."

The Dragon Master gave a little smile. "I'll get it done as fast as I can even if it means doing the investigation personally."

Lance soon said good bye to the two trainers and prepared to leave, but Blake had something else to say and took the Dragon Master aside. Marisa headed back out into the field leaving the pair alone.

"There's just something I want to know… if you end up shutting down the gym, how will the trainers get their eight badges?" Blake asked thinking about Marisa's situation far more than other trainers.

"I'll probably have to assign a temporary Gym Leader," Lance explained fully understanding where Blake was going with the question. "However, since closing down a number of gyms, we've taken to opening satellite gyms two months before the League Competition to help trainers earn official badges."

"Satellite Gyms? Why don't you just open more official ones?" Blake thought the idea seemed like more work than keeping official gyms open.

"We found that it was too hard to make sure they remained up to League standards," Lance said before turning to leave. "Listen, you don't need to worry about Marisa. She will qualify."

"Is it safe for her to qualify if Team Rocket is still after her?" Blake asked clearly worried.

"That is for her to decide. She won't take protection or stand for relocation. I have offered her both in the past and she's turned them down. What happens in the future is her choice alone."

"I was afraid you would say that," Blake said looking toward the door Marisa had gone through. Lance was just confirming the stubbornness he had come to understand. Even when in danger, she preferred to rely only on herself and her own Pokemon rather than trust others to do it for her.

"Blake," Lance set a hand on the male trainer's shoulder. "She's letting you stay close, so keep her safe. If anything happens, contact me."

Blake looked at the older man. "I'll do what I can."

* * *

**Next Chapter: Sitting Still is Never Easy**

**A/N: Shorter than I wanted, but I was able to catch up to my outline in this chapter. Working on coming up with chapter titles still. Already came up with some for the earlier chapters.**


	25. Sitting Still is Never Easy

**A/N: It has been a while, but finally a new chapter. It has been a busy couple of months for me. I'm sure I have plenty of excuses, but at the moment, they seem very insignificant. Hope the wait was worth it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

* * *

First to Victory: Chapter 25

After seeing Lance off, Blake headed back toward the fields where he knew Marisa would be. He predicted she would be training since she had left with a foul mood. It was clear that she did not like to be told to stay behind. This battle was more hers than anyone elses. She had every right to participate, but Lance was right to keep her back. If Lance had not said something, he would have. This was not something for average trainers, though he did have to admit that there was some trill in chasing after a criminal organization, but that was beside the point. The important thing was to keep Marisa safe.

Blake stopped at the door leading to the fields. Was there anything he could do for her if he followed? Did she even want him around? His own silence when Lance told her to stay put had basically shouted "I agree" and he was well aware that Marisa would not hold back hitting him. Of course, Lance had included him in that order to stay put, but that was a given. He was not going to leave Marisa. If she was staying, so was he. He would be her shadow if given the option.

Blake pushed open the door and took a few steps outside before stopping once more. This was his chance to get close to her, but he had to do it the right way. First step would be to calm her down, which was probably the hardest of all the steps and yet… an idea formed in his head. The male trainer shrugged. It had worked once before. Maybe it would work again.

* * *

"Nidoran, Poison Sting!" Marisa called out. The blue Pokemon jumped into the air and shot purple needles toward Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur jumped out of the way. The training was simple. Bulbasaur was to dodge while Marisa worked with Nidoran's attacks. She had nothing else to do since Lance ordered her to stay put. Of course, training was what she would be doing anyway. Yes, she was one badge away from the Pokemon League Competition, but that was still a ways off and training now was better than doing nothing and it helped her burn some of her rage.

"Double Kick!" Nidoran jumped at Bulbasaur and launched kicks at it. Bulbasaur tried to dodge, but Nidoran was much faster and managed to knock the grass Pokemon back. Bulbasaur quickly shook it off and readied for the next attack.

"How about a real battle?" Marisa looked up surprised. She thought Blake would stay away for a while, but to her surprise, he was there and casually leaning again a tree. When he arrived, she had no idea, but it was clear that he had been there watching her for at least a few minutes. It was a bad sign when she let her emotions get to her enough that someone like Blake could come up without her noticing.

"Are you challenging me?" Marisa asked not sure she heard him right. It had been a while since they last battled. A slight blush crept onto Marisa's face as she remembered the last time. The battle had ended in a draw, but she had let him kiss her. The memory of the kiss flooded her mind forcing her to look away.

Blake smiled lightly. "That's right. A three Pokemon match and I'll give you the advantage. You have access to all of your Pokemon to choose from and I'll show you mine first."

"Is this your way of saying I can't beat you on equal terms?" Marisa shot back slightly annoyed that he would be so confident.

"Not at all," he replied moving from the tree. "It just sounded like fun."

"I have to question your definition of fun," the female replied avoiding looking at him. "Besides, I'm training right now. I don't want a battle."

Blake knew training was not what she wanted to do. She wanted to be out with Lance hunting down Team Rocket. Training was just a cover up. "Then lets train," the male replied releasing his Pokemon.

Marisa was not surprised to see Blake with a different team than he had spoken of in the Seafoam Islands. Though she did have to wonder when he managed to swap out Lapras. She could not recall him making another phone call to Professor Elm other than when they were in Fuschia City. His current team consisted of Typhlosion, Skarmory, Scizor, Xatu, Ampharos and one Pokemon she had yet to meet. Clearly he had chosen to change to his stronger team after the incident with Team Rocket. The sight was actually comforting in a way.

Marisa pulled out her Pokedex. The new Pokemon was familiar to her though she was not sure where she had seen it before. It was black, with a red, feather-like growth coming out of its head. It stood upright and had sharp claws. The Pokemon looked fast.

"_Sneasel, the Sharp Claw Pokémon. Sneasel can extend or retract its claws instantly during attack"._

Marisa returned her Pokedex to her back pocket. "Is that your best team?" she asked slowly.

Blake looked at them for a moment before shrugging. "Maybe, but that depends on the opponent."

"Then… is that the team you used against Cassandra?"

Blake went silent and looked down. "Even if it was, that wouldn't matter. I was not strong enough then to beat her," he slowly looked up and met Marisa eyes. He smiled then. "But it wasn't that bad of a loss. If Cassandra had to resort to Attract, then I almost had her." Marisa was at a loss. Was Blake upset about the loss or did he accept it? He did not seem to be the type to take a loss easily. Blake slowly closed the distance between them and put his hand gently against Marisa cheek. Marisa held back the urge to knock him back. "But you know, if I had won, I wouldn't be here now."

Marisa blinked a few times. "What do you mean?"

"Uh… nothing…" he quickly said backing away leaving Marisa very much confused.

"Hey, don't say something like that and then take it back," she replied trying to grab him.

Blake backed away quickly. "Just forget I said that."

"No way!"

Before either of them realized it, they were running around the fields like a pair of little kids. Marisa was determined to catch Blake and Blake was determined to stay away. The Pokemon just sat around and watched their humans act foolish for a while. Before either realized it, laughter entered the chase and soon Bulbasaur and Nidoran joined in, which led to the rest of the Pokemon running or flying around.

Time went by quickly as it usually does when people or Pokemon begin to play. Marisa completely forgot about being upset and thoroughly enjoyed playing with Blake and the Pokemon. It had been a long time since she was able to forget about her troubles and just laugh, but that did not mean she forgot that she was chasing Blake. With one last sprint, she moved toward him. They were both getting tired. Neither was sure how much time had passed, but it was enough to wear them out, so naturally, Blake did not think Marisa had anything left.

Marisa's sprint surprised the male trainer and actually caused him to stumble over his own feet. Seeing an opening, the female trainer jumped through the air. Blake turned slightly knowing what was coming and did his best to catch her. With a clumsy catch, the pair fell to the ground laughing. The Pokemon continued to play ignoring their trainers.

"Caught you," Marisa managed to say with labored breathing.

"Yes… you did," Blake replied wrapping his arms around her waist. Marisa blushed deeply as she realized their positions. She was on top of him. Pressed up against him. It was one of those positions that was dangerous to be in with a man like Blake. Slowly Blake ran a hand up her back until he reached her face. Gently, he rested his hand on her cheek. "And what are you going to do with me?"

Marisa blushed deeper, if that was even possible. How could he sound so natural after all the running? And even worse, he left her with a loss of words. "Uh… uh… um…"

Blake gave her his trademark smile. "Perhaps I should help." Before Marisa could refuse, Blake took advantage of their situation and flipped their position. He then made things even more uncomfortable for Marisa by bringing his face closer to hers. "Now, I've caught you." Marisa could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she anticipated Blake's next move. Slowly, he moved closer until she could feel his breath on her lips.

"I must ask something," he said holding his position. "Am I risking getting hit?"

Marisa blinked a few times trying to clear the fog from her head. What did he mean by hit? She was completely lost. He was so close and she could feel desire holding her. He was cruel to ask such a question in the current position. Thinking was not something she could do well at the moment.

"Huh?" was all Marisa could get out.

Blake chuckled lightly. "You have a habit of hitting me if I get too close," he replied continuing to torment her with the slight distance. His thumb gently began to stroke her cheek.

Marisa's eyes began to drop slightly at the feeling, while a part of her mind tried to yell at her. She still had no idea what he meant by hit him, but the rational part of her mind wanted her to back away. Being with Blake was dangerous, it always was, but her heart was beating so fast and he was so close.

"Blake…" His name came out so softly that Blake was unsure if he heard it or imagined it. It was so beautiful coming out of her mouth as he knew it would be and it broke the last of his restraint.

Softly, he pressed his lips against her hers. Just a featherlight touch. A brushing of lips while he waited for a reaction. As he hoped, Marisa pressed back urging him further. All worry washed away as he deepened the kiss. If she chose to hit him afterwards, it would be worth it. The feeling of having her in his arms and kissing her was one he would take any amount of pain for.

Closing her eyes completely, Marisa found her hands moving up Blake's back as she kissed him back. Being with him seemed to dispel all her fears and left nothing, but happiness. His lips were soft and warm and touched her to her very core. He made her want for things she never thought she would want again, but more than anything, he made her forget.

Blake's hand stroked Marisa's side gently while sliding his other hand to her neck. Softly, he drew circles to keep his hands from doing something regretful. The kiss was tempting him to go further and the still sane part of his mind was screaming at him to stop while he still could. There were too many eyes watching to make going further truly meaningful… wait… eyes?

Blake forced himself to pull back against his desires. Marisa's hands had found there way into his hair and were doing interesting things to his brain cells, but that was not important at the moment. Something was wrong. He could have sworn someone was watching them. Painful as it was, he managed to tear his eyes from Marisa's newly opened ones so he could look around.

What he saw felt like a bucket of cold water had fallen on him. At some point, all of the Pokemon had stopped playing and were now staring at them, watching them like they were the most interesting thing in the world. Marisa seemed to have noticed as well. Slowly, she pulled her hands from his hair and pulled away from him as best as she could with him still on top of her. Blake got the message and removed his hands from her body while backing off.

"It's gotten late," Marisa managed to say only glancing at the male trainer.

Blake stood up and offered his hand. "Yeah," he agreed not knowing what else to say. The Pokemon were still making him uneasy. He had the bad feeling Umbreon was ready to attack him.

Marisa released a small smile as she took his hand and accepted his assistance. "We should head back to the lab," she suggested reluctantly releasing Blake's hand.

Blake nodded. Words were suddenly not coming easily to him. He could not even find the strength to gather his Pokemon, but not Marisa. She knew exactly what to do to get the Pokemon to head for the lab, where dinner was most likely waiting. She was functioning normally, or at least seemed to be. He had a hard time believing she felt nothing from what just happened. They would need to talk about it, or at least that was what he wanted, but that would come later. The Pokemon would come first and then once they could have some time alone… Blake allowed his mind to wander into the realm of "what ifs."

A hand rested on his shoulder. "Are you going to stay out here all evening?" Marisa asked looking slightly concerned though Blake was not sure if that was true concern or his mind's desire to have her concerned about him.

"Uh… no…" he replied slowly. Blake quickly took hold of Marisa's hand and gave her an easy smile. "Let's go." Marisa stalled for a moment before letting him lead them back to the lab.

* * *

Awkward days passed between the two trainers. Blake was in denial about Marisa having any feelings for him, while Marisa was simply talking herself out of there being anything between them. Both wanted to write off the whole incidence as a mood thing and forget about it, and yet… neither wanted to forget. Instead of discussing, they spent most of the time fighting with each other. Not verbal fighting since that risked leading to a discussion about the kiss, but Pokemon fighting.

Blake's idea of training together had taken off the next morning when Marisa had caught him running Typhlosion through some warm ups. Glances and small smiles passed between the two during training, but both denied anything. Training kept their minds occupied, yet allowed them to spend time together.

Marisa was more than aware that it was a false sense of security she had when she was around him. Blake was a player. He did not care who it was as long as it was female. One kiss or three… it did not matter to him and it should not matter to her, but she could not deny that she felt safe with him. He promised his protection to her, but she was the one that should protect him. She knew Team Rocket better than anyone else and if Benett or Maxwell realized what was going on between the two of them… she did not even want her mind to process that information. Blake was in danger and pervert or not, she had to keep him far away from the entire mess. She could not allow herself to have any kind of special feelings for him and he should know better than to feel anything for her.

The female trainer looked out over the darkened fields from her window. She had to get away. The longer she stayed in one place, the more dangerous things would become. Lance should never have left her in Pallet Town with the risk of Team Rocket so close. Yes, it had been safe before, but she had disappeared from their radar… now… now she was putting the people close to her at risk as well as all the Pokemon in the lab. How long was she going to have to wait before Lance finished the gym investigation?

With a sigh, Marisa headed out toward the fields. She could not sleep no matter how much she wanted to. Her mind always drifted back to the kiss and caused Blake to fill up her mind. At her side was Umbreon, who had chosen to be her constant companion. She was sure Umbreon was picking up on her mood. Arcanine was the same way, but Arcanine was willing to let her have some space. Umbreon still had not learned how to do that, which seemed to fit in well right beside his habit of breaking out of his Pokeball. The act made her wonder if Pokemon relationships were as confusing as human ones.

The lab was dark, but that did not matter. Marisa knew her way around even with no lights. If she needed light, Umbreon would provide. As quietly as possible, Marisa unlocked the door and slipped into the night. She knew Professor Oak and Tracey would sleep through some sound, but she did not know about Blake and did not want him waking up and following her. Being alone with him in the middle of the night was the last thing her heart could take. She could just see him with the moon behind him, looking mysterious and very handsome.

A sigh escaped Marisa's lips. How much longer could she manage to ignore her feelings for the other trainer? It was easy to ignore the feelings that came from the first two kisses, but the newest one… she had not known a kiss could feel that way. Blake had been more than gentle with her even though she knew he wanted more. She could feel the way his body had tightened, or maybe his muscles had always been that hard. A part of her wanted to explore those muscles and find out how they moved and if they were really as hard as they seemed. Blake made her long for something normal in a life that was far from that and in doing so, he made her want to protect him. Something had to be done. She would not leave Kanto without taking care of Team Rocket and she did not want to admit anything about the possible relationship being Blake and herself. How had a simple gym badge journey turned into such a massive mess?

Marisa slid down the trunk of a tree and began to stroke Umbreon. The longer she spent with Blake, the harder it was to see herself alone. The thought was frightening to her. She had always been alone even when she lived with her father. Benett was there at times and she saw him as a childhood friend, but she was basically all alone. Benett had eased her loneliness, which had made her feel like she loved him, but in the end, he was only using her. Was Blake doing the same thing? Did he sense that she was lonely and was trying to make her feel better by being close? There could be a paralle drawn between the two males, but one thing was sure, Benett had not even come close to making her feel the way Blake did when being kissed. Marisa was not even sure a fake kiss could cause such an array of feelings.

Marisa shook her head and attempted to get Blake out of it. Even when she was not sleeping or anywhere near her, he still managed to take over her thoughts. "I should have hit him," she mumbled. He had put her in such a trance that she had not even understood his comment about getting hit until well after the kiss had taken place. The moment was so long passed that it had not felt right to hit him, so she took out her frustration in training. Her Pokemon did not mind the extra push. In fact, they liked getting the tough workouts, or at least it seemed that way. They might have just liked getting the chance to fight against Blake's highly trained Pokemon. One thing was for sure, Blake was a very skilled trainer, not that she had ever questioned that. She should embrace his skills and accept his help with everything going on, but that was not going to happen. Relying on Lance was hard enough at times; she was not going to put reliance into another male… and yet, she already had. The moment she agreed to go to Seafoam Island, she had accepted his help. Maybe even before that. They had gone through Mt. Moon together and he had even helped her at the Pokemon Expo. At some point, he had managed to creep into her life and become a steady companion.

The female trainer looked over at the lab. "How do you see me?" she whispered to the night air, a part of her hoping it would reach Blake's ears, yet scared to find out. Did she dare risk being hurt once again?

* * *

Blake groaned as light filled the bedroom. Another restless night had come and gone. Sleeping in a warm bed should have made sleeping easier, but being so close to Marisa made it feel more like hell. A loud yawn escaped his lips as he climbed out of bed and into the shower. He had to admit, Professor Oak's place was nicer than Professor Elm's. Oak gave his guests their own bathrooms. Professor Elm did not even have guest rooms. Not really. They ended up with experiments in them that left them virtually unusable.

Warm water slid down his body as he stood in the shower. He had a plan for the day. It had taken all night, but he knew what he wanted to do with Marisa. Kanto was not safe and it was taking Lance far too long to get back. He wanted Marisa to go with him to Johto until things smoothed over. Once away from all the trouble, they both could figure out what was going on between them and get over the awkwardness that being near caused. He could not imagine she could possible lose any sleep over him, but he sure was and that was enough to make him want to do something.

Rejection was an unknown term in his mind. She knew the threat better than he did and yet, he had never heard her talk about leaving. He had to believe that she would not reject his suggestion. Common sense dictated that they should go hide away from the enemy. However, Blake would have to admit, common sense would have also sent him far away from someone as prone to violence as Marisa.

Blake pressed his forehead against the cool tile of the shower stall, while the warm water flowed over him. Thinking about taking her to Johto was a lot easier than building up the courage to actually ask her. He was nervous, a rare occurance for him. Would she see things the way he did? He wanted her safe and far from harms way, but carrying her away like a caveman, while tempting, would not score him any relationship points. He had to be careful with her if he wanted to stay in her life.

With a sigh, Blake turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. He rubbed the towel through his hair, but decided not to bother grooming it. Looking his best had not scored many points with the lady he wanted anyway. His skills with Pokemon, however, were a different matter. Marisa had failed to hide the fact that she saw him as a good trainer, which was the only thing that seemed to keep him on her good side. She liked training with him and he was aware that it had all to do with picking up on his training secrets. He had tossed aside the possibility that she accepted training with him for him a long time ago.

The male trainer glanced at the clock while he dressed. It was after eight. Marisa would be out training already. He was fairly sure that nerves were causing Marisa to train so much. She was worried about what Lance would find and did not like staying put. He could not imagine that she would train her Pokemon so much for any other reason. There were hardly any breaks in the training and she was really pushing them. The Pokemon did not seem to mind, but it really looked unnatural to him.

A knock came on his door. Blake strapped on his Pokeballs before heading to the door. "What is it?" he asked opening the door. Blake was unable to miss the worried expression on Professor Oak's face.

"Have you seen Marisa today?" he quickly asked after taking a quick glance around the bedroom.

Blake shook his head. "No, last time I saw her was at dinner. Is something wrong?" The male trainer felt like he had a rock stuck in his throat. He did not like where the conversation was leading.

"She was going to help me with taking Pokemon samples this morning and never showed up."

Blake took a deep breath and willed himself to calm down. Marisa was not the type to fall back on a promise. "Did you check her room and the fields?"

The Professor nodded slowly obviously coming to the same conclusion Blake had. Marisa had gone after Team Rocket or was running from them again. The male trainer turned back into the room and grabbed his backpack. There was no way of knowing when she had left, but he would find her. He was going to need some help to find her though.

"I need to borrow one of Marisa's Pokemon," Blake said taking Ampharos' ball from his belt and holding it out to Professor Oak. "I'll have an easier time finding her with a Pokemon that knows her well."

Explanations were unnecessary. They were both worried that Marisa was about to do something reckless. Blake pulled out his Pokegear as they headed to the lab to do the Pokemon swap. Lance needed to be notified and for once, Blake was thankful the Dragon Master had thought to give him a means of reaching him quickly. Time was growing short.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Tracking Marisa**

**A/N: This is actually the longest chapter I have written for the story so far and it basically wrote itself.**


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